


Beyond the Distance

by KeyToTruth12



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Mystery, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-07-12 04:31:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 97,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7085752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeyToTruth12/pseuds/KeyToTruth12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unlikely person died protecting someone and got taken to another world, as a "next life" for him. A world known as Zootopia. Little did he know, it will initiate a life changing events for him and the people he had interacted with. Will he be able to go back to his world? Or will he continue living in his new world? After all, you're the one who makes your own destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fate

**Hey, everyone! After reading quite a few fan fictions of Zootopia, I decided to make one myself! Please tell me what you think of my writing by using the Review feature! I have never ever written a fiction before, so you can give me reviews and criticism about my work! I'm sure I'll learn as I continue, but don't forget to leave a thought on this! Now enjoy this lengthy introductory chapter!**

* * *

Ken had been born into a wealthy but strict family. He had everything that other people wanted; attending a famous and top notch school, having the latest gadgets, his own apartment, and most of all, money. Although he usually uses them for himself, he had always spared some for charities, which his parents were against. That's why he likes living by himself.

He had always been the silent type. He rarely interacts with anyone, and only talks when someone invites him into a conversation, or better yet, a group project. Other than those times, though, he usually sits in his desk at school, listening to music from his phone, all by himself. No one batted an eye to him, all except one person.

Leina is the exact opposite of Ken. He is outgoing, cheerful, and likes to joke around his friends. But he always found Ken interesting from all the bunch. One day, he asked Ken to go out in a skateboard park. Ken was visibly surprised by the sudden invitation, but deep down he was happy to have someone to talk to. Leina enthusiastically brought Ken to the park, where he would do his usual skateboard routine and with Ken watching him. He even tried to make Ken use his skateboard, but Ken declined as he doesn't know how to ride one, let alone do any outdoor physical activities. From there on out, the two became best of friends. Although Leina never reveals his past to Ken, he was happy enough to have him as a friend. Best friends even.

They were twelve at the time. But now they're seventeen and are ready to move to another school. Before that, though, Ken had asked Leina to accompany him to the beach, where all events will unfold before their eyes.

"It's so beautiful…" said a boy standing on the edge of a pier, staring into the distant sunset, his eyes glimmering with hope. "…yet so far…" he continued.

"Hey, you coming or not? It'll be dark soon, and I don't wanna walk around in this neighborhood at night!" another boy shouted behind him, catching his attention.

"Ah, sorry! I was completely mesmerized by the sunset. I'll be there in just a second!"

The boy at the pier was wearing a blue and white striped shirt with simple black jeans paired with a blue scarf that his grandmother gave it to him when he was ten. He hurried to gather his belongings, and then went to his friend which was just outside the area.

"Boy, you sure love sunsets! I've never met people that likes sunsets as much as you do." Said the other boy wearing a windbreaker with a unique logo etched onto it, paired with knee-length brown trousers.

"Haha, oh Leina, you know that I don't get to see these views as much as other people do, right? You know my family, so strict with their 'rules'." The boy in the shirt replied.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Sorry Ken, I tend to forget things that I shouldn't forget. Ah well, it's my life habit, nothing you can do about it." Leina said, grinning.

Both of them casually talked until they reached their car, which was parked right outside the beach site. Nobody was at the beach that day, which was strange because usually there's always at least a family visiting the beach every day.

"You wanna drive, Ken?"

"Sure, pass me the keys."

Leina passed the key cars to Ken, and then they got into the car. Ken promptly inserted the keys into the key slot and started the car on.

"So where are we heading to? The mall? A place to eat?"

"I prefer the latter. I'm getting hungry from all that sunset gazing." Leina teased.

"Well, at least I always sleep at night." Ken replied with a smirk, seeing how Leina usually sleeps in class during homeroom.

"Hey, I thought you said you were never bringing that up!" Leina exclaimed.

"I lied." Ken said with a giggle.

"Oh, now you're SO going to get it!" Leina said, followed by a punch to Ken's arm.

"Haha, you should've seen the look on your face!" with the giggle turned into laughter, Leina's face visibly red.

Ken finally started driving to their destination, which was a local restaurant near their neighborhood. The drive wasn't too long, it only takes half an hour to go to the beach from Ken and Leina's neighborhood. After they've arrived, they parked outside the restaurant, with a sign that says Moonlight on the front of the building.

"Here we are!" Ken said cheerfully while getting out of the car.

"Whoa, it looks so fancy with all those lights…" Leina remarked in awe while stepping out of the car as well.

Ken took out his phone and read the time there. 7 PM. Not too terribly late, but still late nevertheless. Ken put his phone back in his pocket.

"Let's go in then, we don't wanna stand here all night!" Leina said in glee.

"Okay, okay, calm down. Let's go."

Both of them went into the restaurant and was greeted by….no one. No customers, only staffs. Both of them exchanged a confused look before sighing and sitting on a nearby table.

"Well, I did NOT expect this. This place is practically a ghost town. Or in this case, a ghost restaurant." Ken said, lowering his volume so the staff doesn't get offended by hearing it.

"Hmm…maybe the prices are too high? I mean this is a fancy restaurant and all."

"Maybe."

As they go on their conversation, a waiter approached them and gave them a menu. Ken took a glance and…nothing. Everything is normal. The prices, the actual food, everything is normal, like the ones you'd find in restaurants.

"I'll have one fried salmon, please. With extra sauce. What about you, Leina?"

"Hmm…I'll have pork cutlet with rice, please. That sounds good!"

"So one fried salmon and pork cutlets?" the waiter responded.

"Yes. Oh, and don't overcook the fish, I don't like it." Ken added.

"Okay." the waiter said, walking away to the counter.

After the waiter was off sight, Leina examined his surroundings. Fancy, that's what he gotta say. Lots of paintings were hanged on the wall, there were marble statues on every corner and plants. Don't forget the plants, oh the plants, they were literally everywhere. It quite contradicts the name of the place.

"Is it just me, or are the plants…excessive?"

"I think so too. But the bigger question is why there are no customers here. This is supposed to be a renowned restaurant, but I haven't seen anyone entering the place" Ken scratched his head in confusion.

"Well, I don't think it matters too much anyway."

"Heh, I think you're right. Anyways, tell me what school you want to attend!"

"The same school as you're going to, remember? I'm not going anywhere without you. Well, at least until college, that is. From there I need to start thinking about my life as well.

College. The dreaded word Ken avoided to use. From what Ken know, it means separation. And separating with Leina is the worst possible outcome of a friendship. Of course, you can communicate with a phone, but it's not the same as face to face. But there was no way of avoiding it. Life goes on, whether you like or not.

Ken was spacing out until Leina snapped him out of his trance.

"Hey, what were you thinking about? You were gazing at the ceiling for no reason. Is there something in your head you wanna talk about?"

"No, not really…I was just thinking about how we would go our separate ways after finishing high school…it really never occurred to me that we almost finished high school. Just one more year, and then we graduate."

"So you were thinking about that? Haha, I thought it was something more important!" Leina chuckled.

"But it is important!" he countered, "It means we can never see each other again! And I don't want that…" Ken's eyes started to turn glassy.

Leina sighed, "Ken, listen to me. Even if we're separated, we will still be connected."

"Huh?" Ken raised one of his eyebrows.

"We will be still be connected. Right here." Leina said, pointing at his chest.

"So you're saying is that our hearts will always be connected?

"Yep. If you get into any trouble, you just wait, as I'll come to help you."

"…or, you know, I could just call you by my phone and pretend like none of this ever happened." Ken replied, "I mean, our hearts will always be connected? Man, that is cheesy as hell!" Ken burst out laughing.

"Haha, I know right? Why did I even say that?" Leina laughed as well, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh God, that really cracked me up…" Ken said, holding out tears from all the laughing.

They waited for their meals to come before finishing and leaving the restaurant, heading into the parking lot. Ken took a glance at his phone again. 9 PM.

" _Damn, it's getting late_." he thought to himself. After fumbling with his keys, he started up the car and began driving to their homes. But another strange thing caught both boys' attention. Nobody was on the road. No cars, no anything. And the surroundings were unusually foggy as well, which was strange too, considering there was no information about getting fog that night. Things were starting to get creepy…

"I'm legit scared now." Leina muttered, "There should be at least some traffic on this road, but there are none right now."

"Don't worry, we're getting close to our home anyway." Ken assured him.

The car approached a 4-way intersection, and Ken continued to drive forward. There was a little vision on the road on the front, as the fog gets thicker by the second. But Ken still drove at normal speed, figuring no one would go out this late, combined with the non-existent traffic from before.

"Hey, slow down, what if there's a car coming? " Leina said with a slight worry on his tone.

"Ah, sorry. I just figured that nobody would drive here at this time. But you're right, I should slow down." The boy replied, slowing down his vehicle.

"Jeez, you should be paying more attention, Ken! Don't just go spacing out while driving!"

"Hehe, sorry. I just like spacing out. It makes my imagination, you know, run wild." The boy said in a sarcastic smile.

"That's cool and all, but now not's the time to do that! You're driving at the moment. What if MY imagination comes true? We would be get wrecked in pieces!" The other boy's tone stood up of intensity.

"Whoa, chill dude. I said I'm sorry. Besides, why are you so worked up for?"

He sighed, trying to calm himself.

"…sorry. I got mad over something so trivial."

"Hey, it's my fault. I shouldn't have spaced out in the first place." Ken said, fixing his scarf.

"Forget about it." Leina turned to the windshield, noticing a familiar house, "Oh look, I can see my house from here. We're close!" Leina said excitingly.

Ken drove to the other side of the lane since there was another car parked right at front of the house. They got out of the car and said their goodbyes.

"Goodnight, Ken. See you tomorrow!" Leina said, waving.

"See ya." Ken replied, watching as Leina walked to his house across the street.

He was staring at Leina for a few seconds before spotting a car down the road with crazy velocity coming to Leina's way. Things had seemed to slow down; Ken's adrenaline immediately rose. He could stay there and let his best friend get hit by a car, or push him out of the way and let him take the hit instead.

It really was a sad day.

"LEINA, WATCH OUT!"

Adrenaline kicked in and Ken was already running towards Leina, not thinking about anything else.

"What?"

Leina turned around and felt a push, landing on the other side of the road, noticing it was Ken who had pushed him. He finally realized the situation. A sedan was still gaining speed on the road, never seemed to slow down.

But Ken.

Ken was still on the road, who seemed to be thrown off balance from pushing him.

"Ken! Take my hand!"

Leina tried to reach his right hand towards Ken, hoping he will be pulled before the vehicle come crashing down on him.

But no.

Leina had been frozen in place, not doing anything. Is this what fear looks like? Or is it shock? Either way, try as he might, his body wouldn't cooperate with his brain. He regretted it. He regretted his self.

In a split second, the car crashed into Ken's body.

Ken's last expression was etched forever into Leina's mind. A smile. The sincerest smile he had ever seen.

"KEN!" Leina' screamed in pure, primal terror. He ran towards Ken, who had been thrown away from the force of the car. Leina leaned down to Ken, "Ken, stay with me! I'll get help!"

Ken's breathing was shallow and was only moments away from the inevitable fate. Leina took out his phone, but it was out of battery.

"Fuck!" he cursed.

"I…I…"

Leina paused a little before realizing that his home was just literally steps away from him. He could've just got help from his family than dialing the emergency number! He stood up and tried to run to his house. But his feet was caught by something.

"Ken!" Leina said when he turned his sight to his leg. Ken had grabbed Leina's leg.

"Lei…na…" Ken's voice was stuttery, "stay…with me…" he begged.

Unable to hold back tears, Leina bursts into tears. "Ken! Hang in there, I'll just get my parents to help you! It'll be fine, okay!? It'll be fine!" Leina assured Ken, which had started crying too.

Not wanting to waste even a second, Leina ran like the wind, heading towards his house. He turned the door handle and burst the door open. Faces of confusion and terror ran through the house before acknowledging the situation. Leina then went back to his friend's side, which was still on a pool of blood. Ken looked absolutely devastated.

"Ken! I got help! Stay with me!"

No response.

"…Ken?" he gulped.

Reality immediately kicked in, and he cried even more. A group of people came running from behind Leina. One which was holding a phone, talking in a distressed manner. Probably to the emergency number's operator. Another which was holding a first aid box, but he knew better. He knew that Ken has gone.

He was gone from this world.

* * *

**Whew, that was a lot to write! I probably messed up some tenses here and there, and I'm sorry! I'm not a native English speaker, so pardon my lame English skill! The next chapter will be probably out tomorrow, depending on the situation, as I'm currently in Finals week. What a day to be alive. Anywho, if you want to leave a thought, please do so! I appreciate every remark you guys have, so don't be shy on showing it. Good night!**


	2. Rebirth

**Hey there folks! Still no Zootopia yet, but expect it to be in the next chapter! Another character is introduced. I hope you enjoy this follow-up!**

* * *

Time had seemed to stop. At least, that's what I thought before a car rammed right into me. My vision immediately blurred and an unthinkable pain escaped my mind and body. And before I knew it, I was already on the other side of the road. I wanted to scream, but no voice came out of my mouth. I just laid there with the pain spreading everywhere through my body. Leina only stared at me with a horrified expression. I swear that I smiled before this happened, and the smile was still attached to my face. It seemed that Leina had come running towards me. Damn, I must've looked horrible for him.

"Ken, stay with me! I'll get help!"

_"No, Leina, find the person who drove that car. I can't be helped at this point."_

I wanted to say that to him, but I couldn't even let my voice out. Dammit, I should've been more careful!

At this point my breathing had become irregular. I don't know if it's because of my broken ribcage, or if it's something worse. And frankly, I don't want to know either. Leina seemed to have taken his phone out.

_"Is he calling the emergency number? No! You need to find the person who rammed me and bring him to justice! I'm beyond help, Leina!"_

That's what I wanted to say, but still, I couldn't even say a single word.

"Fuck!"

Well, that's the first time I heard him swear. Not that it matters now, anyway.

"I…I…"

_"No, don't think too hard on this, Leina. I don't want to burden you anymore. Just…look for the driver…"_

My mind had reached its peak at this point. I couldn't even think right. It seemed that Leina's phone had lost its battery power, and he's looking more frantic by the second. Until he stood up.

_"No, don't go!"_

I mustered all my strength to move my arm and grabbed him by his leg. He seemed to be surprised. He then turned back.

"Ken!?"

"Lei…na…stay…with me…"

I tried to ask him to stay with me, but the result wasn't all that satisfying. All of a sudden he started crying.

Crying? Well, that's a thing he hadn't done since he's in seventh grade. And for some reason, my eyes began to wet as well. And then I realized something. I was going to die. Suddenly chills sent down on my entire body. It was cold. _So cold._

"Ken! Hang in there, I'll just get my parents to help you! It'll be fine, okay!? It'll be fine!"

_"No….don't leave me here…Leina…"_

I tried to raise my voice, but all that came out was a whimper. I was scared of dying. I never thought I'd get into this situation. Just thinking about it made my bones freeze. Leina started running to his house. I think that's for the better. I don't want to him to see me like this. I just don't.

_"I…don't wanna die…"_

_"Leina…"_

That was my last thought before darkness fills my vision.

* * *

_"Nothing matters anymore."_

_"No one will miss me."_

_"I'm a coward."_

Those words kept swirling in my head, over and over. And then…a voice echoed in my head.

_"Do you wish to live?"_

_"Do I…what? Wait, if that's true, then…"_

Memories flooded back into my mind. I really am dead. But…why can I collect my thoughts like this if I am?

_"Do you wish to live?"_

The voice echoed louder this time. Do I want to live? Of course I do…but, aren't I dead? To be honest, I don't even think all of this is real. Is this some sort of a cruel joke?

_"Do you wish to live"_

The voice rang even louder than before. I guess it needs an answer. I mean, what's the worst thing that can happen?

_"…yes."_

…

A pause. A frickin' pause. Is this really some joke? I don't want to be in this situation anymore! I wanna-

_"Then live you shall."_

_"Wait, wha-"_

My thoughts cut off. Not because of the confusion that had been poured on me, but because I can feel. I can _feel_ my body. I felt like I'm lying on some cold but familiar material.

_Glass._

Without pausing a moment, I opened my eyes. _Darkness._ That was the first thing I thought. I can't see the ceiling of the place I'm on. Darkness overlaps everything above. Then I tried to sit. The view I saw was unlike anything I've seen before. It seemed like was on a stained glass. A huge round stained glass, with foreign motif over it. I stood up, noticing my surroundings. There's a…door? It's definitely a door. Why is a door here? And most of all, why am I here? I shrugged, figuring that this is just a dream.

_Or is it?_

I walked on one of the edges of the circular pedestal I'm on, carefully adjusting my footing so I don't fall down to the bottomless abyss below. It would be _silly_ to die twice, right? I looked down and noticed that what I'm standing on is actually a pillar. A pillar with a stained glass placed on top of it. Right, more unthinkable things to add to the list.

I finally walked to the only place of interest in the room. The door. Let's just hope this door isn't just for a decoration.

"Well, here goes nothing."

I opened the door. At the other side of the door…was light? This is getting downright mind-boggling. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to stay here or to go through the light. As if on cue to answer my question, the voice began to echo in my head again.

_"Proceed to the light, and your life shall begin anew."_

I have some serious question to ask this guy. Is this even a guy? Is it…God? No, it can't be. But better try than doing nothing, right?

"Who are you?"

I didn't expect an answer, but the voice rang in my head again, much to my surprise.

_"I am not someone you'd speak of every day. I am…Death. I was the one who brought you here._

I blinked. _Death?_ That's a mouthful. And apparently he's the one who took me to this…bizarre place. I sighed, then asked another question.

"I thought _Reapers_ are supposed to take life, not bring life. Was all I heard about you wrong? Or is this just a gateway to hell, where supposedly my new "life" will begin?"

I think I may have gone a bit too far with that. Still, if he's willing to answer my question, I don't give a shit.

_"I only bring people with unfair deaths here. You died protecting someone, and that counts as well."_

As "Death" said that, the image of my friend crossed my mind. Leina…I died protecting Leina. If that isn't considered noble, I don't know what to think anymore. At least…Leina should know that I'm fine.

"Hey…Death? Can you tell my friend that I saved…that I'm okay?"

…

Yeah, I don't think it'll be that easy. I just want to say a proper goodbye to him…but I don't think that's gonna happen.

_"Are you certain?"_

"What do you mean? Of course I'm certain!"

_"Telling him will cause…something else to happen. It's like a chain reaction. When you tell someone something that they're not supposed to know, bad things will happen."_

"I don't care what happens! I just need Leina to know that I'm fine, or else..." I tried to hold back my tears, "he will fall into despair. So…if you can do that…then please…" I'm on the verge of crying.

…

_"As you wish. But note that I will not be responsible for any cause of…'interruptions'."_

I sighed in relief. Then replied to him.

"…thanks."

Why am I thanking the reaper? I don't really know. But I do know that I'm going to start a new life. And a better one than before, I hope.

"Well, I better get going. Nice knowing you."

I bid the being that may or may not be there goodbye, and proceeded to walk into the light in front of me. My vision starts to blur again, and then I was gone.

* * *

**Writing this is much more difficult than I thought. But it's surprisingly fun as well! Feedbacks are always welcome! See you in the next chapter!**


	3. Awakening

My mind was blank. No thoughts dared to cross it, until…I saw myself getting rammed by a car.

_*gasp!*_

I jolted out from my sea of unconscious, breathing spastically. I tried to calm myself down, and so far it's working. My breathing gradually gets normal, and I took a deep breath.

_Inhale,_

_Exhale._

I never thought sunlight is _this_ blaring before. I needed to squint my eyes before I could focus on my surroundings. Apparently I'm in some sort of a park. Trees and bushes are all over the place. But I didn't see any people around. Where the heck am I anyway? More questions started filling my mind, but I simply brushed them off, thinking it would hurt my head more.

I stood up and checked my belongings. I then instinctively dug my right pocket.

"Thank God, it's still here."

I thanked my lucking stars that my phone were still intact. I turned it on, and opened Contacts app. I need to call Leina.

My heart sank as I stared into phone's black screen. _Nothing._ Nothing is in my contacts. Not my parents, not even Leina. Literally no one.

_"I guess I really am dead."_

I sighed and proceeded to explore the park. Nothing interesting, everything you'd see in an ordinary park is here. I guess this just is an alternate version of my world? I don't care at this point, everything is so bizarre to start making sense. I walked to the only exit of this place. A gate. I couldn't see anything past it, probably because of something plastered over it. It was closed too. I shook my head in confusion before finally opening it.

_Creeeeeak!_

The first thing I noticed was a looming building in the distance. It looks so tall. Is it a skyscraper? I shrugged and walk down the paved road. A bunch of flowers was scattered on the grassy plains can be seen on the left and right of me. Looks normal enough. After walking a few steps, I turned back to see where I had been. The "park" is literally just a big meadow trapped in with trees encircling it. Can something like that even happen? Whatever works in this world, I suppose.

I continued my trek to the now visible building and halted as soon as I see where the tower's bottom was placed at. In the middle of a city. A _huge_ city.

I should be happy that I found a city, right? No. Instead of happiness, more confusion poured into my mind. The city's layout is unlike anything I've seen before. Same as the buildings. There are so many different shapes and sizes of these buildings and houses. One that can even fit mouse, or an elephant even.

But that's not the reason so many questions befell me. The main reason is there are animals. So many species of animals. The are walking on two legs, wearing human clothing, and doing human activities! Most of all…they are everywhere.

I might be going insane.

* * *

After that mind-bending introduction to the city, I thought I need a place to sit and collect my thoughts. _Anywhere._ Just to grasp on what the fuck is happening right now. Thankfully I spotted a restaurant-like building across the road, which had a sign that reads "Bug-Burga", so I immediately went there while carefully crossing the road. Don't want to make the same mistake twice, huh?

I pushed the door open and took a look at the customers. Sure enough, not a single hint of humans. I then scanned the room. It appears to be a fast-food restaurant. I sighed and went to the nearest table, clutching my head as I sat.

_"Okay, okay, calm down. Maybe this is just another "city" where animals live like humans. I've seen plenty of those from the movies, so I just need to calm down. I mean, there should be some human here, right? And they probably know us as well. So I should be fine for the time being…"_

I was lost in thought before a small hand, or should I say paw, patted my arm. I turned to see the person who patted me. No one.

"I'm down here!" a voice called which I supposed to be a female.

I looked down to see who's calling me, only to be greeted with a grey-furred rabbit in a…police suit? Well, at least there are law enforcements here.

"Are you okay, sir? You looked…pale. Should I take you to a hospital?" she asked with concern in her tone.

"Ah! No, no I'm okay! I... I was just spacing out! No need to worry, officer!" I replied with a slight stutter in my voice.

Wait, this may be actually my chance to figure out where the heck this is!

"Excuse me, officer, I don't mean to sound weird, but…do you know where we are?"

I saw a glint of confusion coming from her face. Not surprising.

"Are you lost? We're in Bug-Burga, the biggest fast-food chain in Zootopia. Are you sure you're okay, though? Do you need help getting home?"

Zootopia? Is that this city's name? Pretty fitting if you ask me.

"No, I'm fine…" I paused, thinking what to ask next. "Erm, have you seen…" I hesitated for a while. I don't think I should ask her this, but…

"Have you seen another human around here?" I finally spouted the question.

"Human? What's a human?"

I was taken aback with her answer. Certainly there _should_ be another human around here, right? _Right?_ If she really doesn't know what a human is, then...shouldn't she be surprised at me? I mean, to her, I'm probably some alien species that came to this city, but her expression so far seemed…normal. _Like any other humans._

"You don't know what a human is!?"

"Err…no. I've never heard of that term before. What makes you think I know a human? Is it some kind of a new species?"

"I mean, I'm a human! So I just assumed you've seen one before. Are you sure you've never met someone that looks like me!?"

Her expression changed to downright confusion.

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think a fox like you is a 'human'. I honestly don't know what you are talking about right now."

_"Wait, what?"_

_"Did she just say that…I'm a fox?"_

I slowly turned my head to the left, aiming for the medium sized mirror at the corner.

What I saw was…a red fox. Sitting on a chair with a rabbit standing beside him, wearing the exact same clothing as I was, and…my scarf. It dawned on me almost immediately that my 'new life' is probably this. So apparently I got turned into an anthropomorphic fox, in a world where anthropomorphic animals replace humans. No wonder I saw some people eyeing me on the way here since foxes are known to be shifty and untrustworthy. Which was also me…

I tried to put as much logic as I could into my assumption. But no matter how much I did, it would always sound bizarre. But if this is the new life for me, then-

I've been staring into the mirror for 2 minutes before my head starts spinning. Pain roared everywhere inside my head, and I almost caught a glimpse of a shadow in the mirror. The most terrifying part was that the shadow resembled a lot like Leina.

My consciousness then was replaced by nothingness.

* * *

**And that's Zootopia! I don't think I've described it very well, but that may just be the limit of my choice of vocabulary. It's a pretty short update all in all. And yes, Leina will play a major part in this story in a future chapter. Until then, see you on the next chapter, and good night!**


	4. Encounter

I slowly regain consciousness from that last event. I opened my eyes and saw a white ceiling above. Is this a hospital? There's still a hint of pain in my head, but it eventually subsided.

"Are you awake?" a male voice called out, presumably in his early 30's.

I slowly turned to the voice, expecting a doctor. What I got was something far different. A red fox, wearing a green Hawaiian shirt and brownish-grey pants with a dark indigo necktie draped over his collar. An odd fashion sense, sure, but that didn't stop me from scurrying back to the wall behind me. Waking up to see a fox in front of you isn't exactly the best kind of sight you'd see in the morning.

"Whoa, calm down kid. I'm not gonna bite 'ya." He said with a surprised face.

I had a hard time calming down and catching my breath, but I finally did. I sat awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"You alright there, bud? My partner said you fainted in a restaurant before she took you in here. And…" He paused for a second, "...you're not exactly from here, right?"

_Wait, how did he know?_

"Um...I…err…" I replied with a stuttery voice, not knowing what to answer.

Before I can even make a coherent sentence, the door to the right behind the fox opened and a bunny can be seen entering the room, closing the door behind her.

"Hey Carrots, your friend just woke up. I don't think he was happy seeing me!" The fox muttered with a smirk on his face. It almost seemed natural, the way he smirked.

"Ugh, not now Nick." The bunny replied. I could see her rolling her eyes.

Is this the rabbit I encountered earlier? Come to think of it, I did spout some foreign words to her. Am I...gonna be interrogated? Oh please no.

While I was trying to address the questions that had popped into my mind, the rabbit walked closer to my bed, sitting on a chair beside it.

"Are you feeling better, sir? Do you want anything that could help you recuperate from your current situation?" The rabbit asked with concern. Pure concern. I could hear it from her tone.

I turned to the rabbit, "No, I'm fine. Thanks for bringing me here, miss…" I never know her name, so I tried to read her name on her badge before realizing that she's not wearing her uniform. She's now wearing a casual green shirt with black pants. Pretty much better than the fox's fashion sense.

"Hopps. Judy Hopps." She added. "And don't worry, it was only natural to bring you here after you lost your consciousness."

"I see. But thanks again, I'm sure nobody would bring me to the hospital in the real world-" I cupped my mouth-turned-muzzle with both of my paws, cursing myself for slipping something that would potentially get me in trouble.

Both animals could be seen raising their eyebrows. Dammit, am I screwed now?

"Hmm…" the fox began to speak, "say, where do you live?"

I could feel like facepalming myself, but there's no way of getting out of this mess, huh?

"I…I don't live here. I came from…" I struggled to find the right words, but an idea struck me. "I came from another city called Earth. I was traveling around the world, and I found this city. Zootopia, is it? Yeah, I just arrived in this city recently, before I met Miss Hopps here." I tried to smile as convincingly as possible.

"Hmm…" the fox seemed not to be buying my excuse. I'm no actor, so what can I say? "If it's true, then can you show us your passport?"

_Crap. I don't have anything like that!_

"Hey, you're taking this a bit too far, Nick. Just let him rest." The bunny nudged at the fox pleadingly. He turned to her, "Trust me Carrots, I know what I'm doing." He then turned to me again, "So, can we see that passport of yours?" I can feel his expression piercing my fake smile.

Great, how am I supposed to explain that I died, and then came to this world as one of them? Is my new life this difficult?

"Uh…yeah…my passport…" I was sweating at this point, the sheer pressure of the fox's expression did not help me in any way. "I…I don't have a passport…" I said in a quiet tone.

_Dammit, is that the best I could do?_

I can see the fox smirking again, "So what you're saying is that you came here illegally? As far as I know, that's a punishable offense here, and in your city." The fox concluded, his smirk never leaving his face.

_Shit, no! He's got it all wrong…!_

"Nick! Stop it!" The bunny nudged harder at the fox.

_I need to explain this before I get into a serious trouble…well, here goes nothing!_

"I!" I broke the intensity of the conversation, "I'm…I'm actually not from this world." Their faces turned to me, perking up with confusion at my sudden explanation. "I'm actually dead…I died protecting my friend in my world, and I got taken here. But I'm alive! As a fox too, so…" I paused, looking down on my body. Sure enough, there's no skin on my arms and body anymore, they were replaced by reddish-orange fur. I smiled, "So I don't know if you'll believe me or not, but that's my only explanation. If you want to take me for further investigation, then go ahead, I don't mind. I'm just happy that I'm alive, and that's the only thing that matters." I felt myself tearing up, but I don't care at this point. I'm just glad I vented that out.

The two of them just sat there, staring at me in disbelief. Who could blame them? I'm practically an outsider from an unknown world that now lives here. If I heard it from someone else, I'd be at the same position as those two. I just sat on my bed in silence, accepting my incoming fate.

"…no, I believe in you."

"Huh?" I turned my face to the fox surprisingly.

"I said I believe in you." He repeated, "Don't get me wrong, I still don't understand the details of your story, but I know you're not lying. I've met many people before in my life. _Many._ And I've gotten used to different emotions portrayed on their faces. Whether someone is lying or telling the truth, I can see them all on their faces. Especially your face; it's unmistakably the face of honesty. I can't sense any lies on your face as well. I know you're telling the truth, so I'll take your words." He finished, then asked his partner, "What do you think, Carrots?"

"I don't think he's lying either. That, and combined with your claim, it's pretty safe to assume he's telling the truth." The rabbit said with a smile on her face.

I can feel tears flowing down from my eyes. But this is different. These are tears of happiness. I've never had anyone else to depend on other than Leina on my previous life, so this event is…tearful for me.

"Hey, don't cry! You're gonna make me look bad…" the fox scratched the back of his head, looking away from me.

I brushed my tears off. "Thank you. Thank you for believing me. I never had someone else this accepting before, other than my friend in my other world." I lowered my head.

The fox then came beside me and patted my back. "Don't worry kiddo, we won't tell anyone." He replied with a smirk- no, not a smirk. It's a smile. A sincere smile. I smiled back, trying not to look bad.

"Yeah, your secret's safe with us!" the bunny came closer to me as well, holding my right paw.

I've never felt this warm before. Is this what having friends feels like? I raised my head.

_"Leina, I'm okay now. Don't you worry about me anymore."_

I let down a single tear off my eye. A new feeling has emerged from me. A feeling which I call as…Perseverance.

* * *

After that teary introduction with the two officers, I was discharged from the hospital. I gathered my only belonging from the bedside table in the room I was in, which was my scarf and went back to the lobby. I actually don't know what to do next. I don't have any shelter, I don't have food, I don't have anything. I could sell something, or I could find a job. But…can I even find a job here?

As I was lost in my own world of thoughts, I saw Officer Hopps and her partner on the front desk discussing something which I assume is probably related to me. I approached them from behind and tapped my paw her shoulder, trying to catch her attention. She...got startled with an audible gasp and recoiled back from me. Did she really get surprised from me? What?

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sneak up on you!" I tried to explain it to them. I could see a less startled version on her partner's face.

She calmed herself down before replying, "That's okay..." She let out a big sigh, "You really surprised me there. I didn't even hear your footsteps. Nice job, though!" She smiled wryly.

"No, I wasn't going to..." My voice trailed off before I could finish it. I don't want to make a mess any further so I simply shut my mouth.

I really wasn't expecting her to be surprised, to be honest, and I'm sure as hell I didn't do it on purpose. I sighed and waited for them to finish their business with the staff at the desk before following them to the waiting room. We found ourselves a seat and began talking more.

"Hey, are you sure you want to go by yourself? You're new here, and it'll be a disaster if you get lost and got caught up in some crazy street war or something." She asked. "Oh, and we haven't even know your name!"

Oh yeah, I never did tell them about my name. It'd be rude not to tell them, after all they've done to me.

"Miller. Ken Miller. Nice to meet you guys!"

"And I'm Nick. Nick Wilde." The fox said, "And this is Judy Hopps, but she already introduced herself to you, hasn't she?" he continued, teasing the bunny.

"Haha, yeah."

"Anyways!" Judy changed the subject, "Since Ken here doesn't have a place to stay currently, I propose that he will live with Nick for the time being!" she announced proudly. Nick looked at her with confusion.

"Carrots! Are you serious!?" he asked.

"Of course I am! Do you have a better plan?" she questioned back.

"Uh, I…"

"I thought so. So! Ken, until you can find a home for yourself, you will be living with Nick!"

I got offered a place to stay! But, is it fine, though? Won't I burden them more?

"Miss Judy, I thank you for your concern, but is this really fine? Is Mister Nick fine with all of this?" I asked for clarification.

"Just call me Judy. And it's fine! It's our job to protect the citizens of Zootopia, after all. Right, Nick?" she turned her head to Nick.

"R-right. It's fine…" He answered, with a slight groan.

I was so happy. I could never believe that they would allow me to stay on Officer Nick's house!

"So...after all that, what are you going to do now?"

Judy broke the silence. I still wasn't sure what I'm going to do.

"I actually don't know…I was thinking about finding a job, but I'm only seventeen so that probably won't happen…" my voice trailed off.

In the midst of silence, Nick spoke up.

"How about attending school?"

Both me and Judy turned to him.

_Attending school? I've never thought of that. That could work. I only have 1 year left before graduating anyway, so after that maybe I can find a job and live my own life!_

"That's…actually not a very bad idea! What about it? Do you want to attend school?" Judy asked enthusiastically.

_It's good and all, but…I don't have the money. And I'm sure I don't want them to fund it. I caused enough trouble for them today, and I don't want to burden them further. That's not like me._

"But I don't have the budget to attend school. I don't think the money from my world can be used here either." I took my wallet out to see how much money I had left. My identification card is still there, along with a driver's license, an ATM card, and a…

A photo of me and Leina together.

I clenched my fist. I need to stop thinking about him. It would only bring painful memories. I flipped the photo so the backside of it can only be seen and then inserted it again. Finally, I checked the amount of money I had left. Five hundred dollars. But something caught my attention; the money looked different from what I remembered. Don't tell me...

I examined it further and realized they had been turned into this city's currency!

Both of them perked up to see the papers.

"Wow, how do you have so much money!?" Nick exclaimed.

"I usually carry more than these-"

"Wait a second, are you from a rich family!?" Nick exclaimed once more, effectively cutting me off mid-sentence.

"Was. Now I don't have any income from my parents." I corrected him.

"Who cares!? You can buy 30 Jumbo-Pops with that!"

"Jumbo-what now?" I raised my eyebrow, "Anyways, I was wondering if these are...spendable."

"Of course you can! Those are the official currency of Zootopia!" Judy explained.

_"But how...? You know what, I won't complain."_ I thought.

"But just to be safe, I'll take those to analyze them further. Fake money is a thing after all. Not saying you're carrying fake money, but I just can't risk it."

"I understand." I took out all my money and gave it to Judy.

"Thanks. I promise I'll return it to you once I'm done with it. In the meantime, Nick, take Ken here and show him around the city. I'll go to the station and will call you when I'm done." She asked Nick.

A groan can be heard from Nick. "Ugh…alright. You're the boss. Come on Ken, I'll show you around." He said and started to walk towards the entrance.

I little walk wouldn't hurt, right? And it's helpful to know the ways here.

"Okay, lead the way!" I replied eagerly, following him. "See you later, Judy!" I waved at Judy behind me.

"Later!" Judy waved back, smiling.

* * *

I stood in the middle of the city, awing on the many structures scattered here. So many species of animals are bustling, probably going into work. It's an amazing place all in all.

"So where are we going to?"

"Nowhere in particular. Carrots said to take you around town, so I did." He replied with a smirk. I swear that smirk is gonna be the death of me.

"Okay…?" I didn't even bother to ask him again. His response would probably be similar. I like his personality, though. I feel like he can do anything by talking.

As I was admiring Nick and the city overalls, my gaze got directed into a small alley. There was a weasel and a buffalo there. But something seemed strange. I squinted my eyes to get a better look; there was a shadow of someone in front of the two mammals who seems to be talking to them. It seems like…bullying? Or…drug dealing!?

I shook the thought, thinking maybe it was just a misunderstanding. But the way they acted, it's...weird.

"Hey, Nick?" I nudged at Nick's shirt.

"Yeah, bucko?"

"Would you take a look at that alley to the left? I think something's wrong there…" I pointed at the alley across the street.

"Hmm? Did you find a bug?" he teased. Not really the time for that Nick.

"Just look at the alley for Pete's sake!"

"Alright, alright, sheesh." He scratched his head.

I could see Nick changing expression instantly after him seeing the alley. "Ken, stay here. Take my phone and call Judy. Tell her to ask for backup." Wait, what?

"What do you mean-" He dashed off towards the alley before I could finish my sentence. Okay, calm down. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding between them, and Nick's gonna sort it out. Now, let's call Judy…

...

_"Hello, Nick? What's up?"_

"Judy, listen to me. Ken here, Nick asked me to call for you. He needs backup right now!"

_"Ken? What are you doing with Nick's phone? Where is he? And what's this about needing a backup?"_

"Nick is…dealing with 3 mammals across the street in an alley. Nevermind that, Judy! He needs backup!"

_"Okay, where are you now? I will radio Clawhauser for backup, just tell me where you are."_

_Well…shit. I never asked for street names._

"I…I don't know…can't you locate this phone and track us down or something?"

_"Hmm…I'll try. I'm almost at the precinct anyways, so I'll track you down as soon as I get there. Just hang in there, alright?"_

"Okay. I'm watching Nick right now, he's…"

My voice dropped as soon as I see Nick got strangled by a wolf in a red suit. Without me knowing, my feet started to move by itself. What's happening!? I began running towards where Nick is.

_"He's what? Ken? Are you there!?"_

_"Ken! Answer me!"_

I couldn't think, I didn't even answer Judy. There's only one thing on my mind right now. _Save Nick._ Without stopping even once, I ran across the street while passing some fruit shops and into the alley. I rammed the wolf who was strangling Nick.

*CRASH*

My body clashed with his and he dropped Nick to the ground, gasping for air. I hurried to his side.

"Nick! Are you okay!? I asked Judy for backup! Hang in there!"

"Ken…" his breathing still not stable, "Why did you come here-" he coughed before finishing his sentence.

"What are you talking about!? You were strangled by that wolf, of course I had to help you!"

"Well look who's here." A deep voice was heard.

I turned to the voice, the wolf was standing up to his feet. I gasped.

_Oh no, no no no no, what do I do, what do I do!?_

I looked briefly at Nick, he's still gasping and coughing, and rubbing at his neck. I then looked back to the wolf, who was started walking towards us.

_Dammit, is there anything I can do? I can carry Nick, but we'll be caught easily if I did. I can buy time for Judy's backup to arrive, but after that ram, I don't think he'll listen to words anymore. What to do, what to-_

I was suddenly kicked in the stomach. That hurt like hell! I curled, coughing and hugging my stomach.

_I can't do anything, can I?_

I can feel myself lifted into the air by the neck. I look to see who's lifting me. It was none other than the wolf. I tried to break free, but struggling caused me more pain and he ended up laughing in a sick tone. I was almost out of air, until…

I went into some kind of trance. I felt my body move on its own. But I couldn't see anything, as if darkness was covering my vision. It lasted about 5 minutes before my body stopped and I can finally see again. I saw a brick wall on the front of me, I guess this is the end of the alleyway? I then turned to see where Nick is and was greeted by…

The three mammals, incapacitated.

_What the hell just happened? Who took down these mammals?_

I directed my gaze to Nick, which was still on the ground. He was no longer grabbing his neck, so I guess he's alright now. But something doesn't feel right…

"Nick! Are you alright?" I ran to his side again, checking for visible wounds. Thank God he only sustained minor injuries.

I took Nick's phone and began calling Judy.

…

…

_"Ken! Are you there? What happened there!?"_ Her voice sounds frantic.

"Don't worry Judy, Nick's fine! Someone had defeated the thugs that were hurting Nick!"

_"Really!? Oh, thank goodness…"_ I can sense her relief from here " _Look, I'll be there soon. Take Nick somewhere safe, but not too far from there, okay?"_

"Okay!" I ended the call.

"Nick, let's go somewhere safe." I bend down, giving my paw to him.

…

Silence. Nick didn't move. "Nick? What's wrong?" I asked.

"W-what exactly are you?" he yelled.

"What do you mean? I've told you everything at the hospital! Now let's go before those guys wake up!"

It took him a while before he finally gets up. He then leads us out of the alley.

_"I wonder who took those guys down, though…"_

I walked away with Nick, not knowing the horror behind that attack.

* * *

**Behold! An update! I had a lot of fun typing the two scenes, I didn't know writing fan fictions can be so…fun! As always, leave a thought if you want, and I'll see you on the next chapter!**


	5. Recall

Me and Nick ended up going to the hospital again, but this time, it's for Nick. The trip was silent; neither of us didn't have the nerve to break the ice. We were finally at the front of the hospital when he started talking.

"Hey, Ken?" he asked without looking.

"Yeah?"

"Do you really don't know what happened back there?"

"Really. I couldn't see anything after the wolf lifted me."

"Did you feel anything after that?"

"No, nothing. I just felt my body moved by itself and then…I was at the back of the alley, staring at the wall."

We entered the hospital, walking into the waiting room and found a place to sit.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah, just a few bruises here and there, nothing serious."

"Still, you need to be patched up before doing anything."

"Yeah…" Nick's voice trailed off.

"Oh yeah, here's your phone." I gave back his phone to him.

"Thanks, I almost forgot about that." He took and slipped it in his pocket.

Silence ensued after that. I checked my phone, but I sighed and put it back. Why is Judy taking so long?

"Thanks for your help back there." Nick finally spoke up again.

"No problem. I can never see someone gets hurt by another person, I'd always get involved, haha." I laughed, hoping to lessen the awkwardness.

"Hey, I know should've told you this sooner, but…" Nick paused for a second, my ears perked up, "I saw you…subduing those thugs."

…

_What?_

"What are you talking about?" I asked with concern in my voice.

"You...you took down those three by yourself. And the way you did it…it's like you've done it before."

"You're saying I took down all those people? No way, I don't remember doing anything like-"

_Wait. Right after I temporarily lost my vision, I felt my body moved by itself. Don't tell me…_

I gasped.

"WHAT!?" I yelled in surprise. People in the area started looking at us with a mix of confusion and surprise.

"Keep it down, you're gonna attract unwanted eyes towards us!" he said with his finger in front of his muzzle.

"Okay, but what!? How did I even do that?"

"Don't ask me, I was just sitting on the ground, looking at the show!"

I calmed myself down and took a deep breath. Nick followed suit.

"You know what, let's just get that out of the way. It'll probably add more questions than answers." I proposed.

"Agreed. And since you don't have any knowledge of you doing it, I can't get more info out of it either." Nick replied.

Not long after, a bunny can be seen rushing through the hospital entrance. She ran towards us with an angered-slash-concerned expression. This better be good.

"Nick, are you alright!?" she said while examining Nick's injuries.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about."

"But you don't look okay! C'mon, let me take you to a doctor to patch you up."

"But I'm fine!"

"No buts! What will the Chief say when he sees you like this?"

Nick let out a defeated sigh before walking to the front desk. She turned her attention to me,

"Hey Ken, are okay too?" She asked me.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I replied, touching my stomach. It still kinda hurts, but nothing than a good rest can fix. "Go attend Nick's wound, I'm sure he'll need more attention than me." I smiled at her.

"Well, if you say so. We'll be back soon, wait here!" She said, catching up with Nick.

A few seconds later, I adjusted myself more comfortably, looking outside the hospital.

_"I'm glad that's over",_ I thought to myself, _"That was really odd, though. I never know how to fight before, so how did defeat them? And I actually wasn't doing it either, my body moved by itself. Is this…a perk for living in this new life? I should've chosen a better one if it is, heh."_

After a few minutes of spacing out turned my head outside the window when I saw a group of people running down the street outside. They look so familiar…

I was connecting the dots until I saw a wolf in a red suit ran past over them. It was those guys from before! I gulped, thanking the glass that separates me from them. I wonder what would happen if we stayed there any longer…

Out of instinct, I took out my phone, opened the Camera app and started taking pictures of them. This will probably be a great clue to Nick and Judy. Assaulting an officer is a crime, right? I hope the police will put them in custody once they've captured them. Still, is taking photos of them really enough?

_I need more._

I jumped from the bench, only to fall headfirst to the ground. I turned my head back in confusion, only to see my tail had gotten stuck in one of the gaps on benches.

_Oh yeah, I forgot animals have tails. Shit, this is getting difficult for me._

I facepalmed, then proceeded release my bushy tail from the gap. I brushed my shirt from dirt that may have been there from that embarrassing fall. I hope nobody saw that.

Just as I was about to take more evidence, I heard Judy's voice behind me.

"We're back!"

I turned back to see those two. Nick had bandages plastered on his left arm and leg. Was it that bad?

"Welcome back." I said, smiling.

"Remind me not to come here again. Ugh, I hate hospitals." Nick sighed in frustration. Me and Judy simply laughed it off.

"Hey, you did this to yourself, so take responsibility for what you've done." Judy pouted, teasing nick.

"Alright, alright I get it." Nick shrugged, raising his hand in defeat.

"So now that's cleared up, let's go to the cruiser!"

They started walking towards the entrance. I just stood there, not doing anything. Should I go with them? After what happened earlier?

"Ken, what are you doing? C'mon, our cruiser is on the parking lot." Judy snapped me out of my thoughts and I hurried to their side. _"This is gonna be a long day, isn't it?"_ I thought, checking the current time on my phone. 2:30 PM. _"Yep, a long day indeed."_

* * *

We arrived at the parking lot, spotting the only unique vehicle there. A police cruiser was parked between normal vehicles. This is my first time seeing one of these this close.

"Ken, you can sit on the back of the cruiser." Judy said, unlocking the car with a remote, "It's reserved for, um, criminals, but we don't have any seats left on the front side of the car." She explained.

"It's okay, I understand." I went to the backside and opened the trunk. I seated myself on one of the cushy seats. Unfortunately there were no seatbelts available. I don't like wearing it anyway. A wire mesh separated the front side from the back side, which I assume is for safety purposes. Both of them finally got in, with Judy in the driver seat. Can she even drive a car this big? I examined the front side more thoroughly. Apparently the car is designed so only small animals can drive it. So that's why Judy will be driving. Makes sense.

"You doing alright in there, Ken?" Nick asked, "Judy's a horrible driver, so you better hang on to something!" he said with his usual smug grin on his face.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Judy rolled her eyes. Honestly, they're like a couple, doing these banters now and then. She started the car and navigated back to the main road.

"So where to?" I asked. I really should be thinking about how to explain what happened earlier too.

"To the precinct! I haven't gotten to analyze the money you had before." She replied, "So tell me, what happened earlier?" She finally asked the main reason we're in this mess.

"Um...a while after we left the hospital, I saw three people in an alley. I thought they were a little shady, so I kinda asked Nick to look." I explained, trying to sound reasonable as I could, "Nick then told me to call you for backup before hurrying to the alley." I could see Judy's head snapping to Nick, frowning.

"What did you do to have them beat you up like this?" Judy asked Nick.

"First of all, these are just minor injuries. They did not 'beat me up'." Nick corrected, more frown can be seen from Judy, "And second, I didn't know there were remnants of the Night Howlers. I questioned them in my usual tone, and they slipped out something important. They apparently had been smuggling Night Howlers. I was about to leave them, but my exit had been blocked by the other two person. And then this happened." Nick pointed to his body, his expression still the same.

"And then?" Judy asked more, her eyes still on the road.

"And then I was strangled…before Ken saved me." Nick looked to me.

"I see. So what happened to them after? Ken said some other person brought those guys down. Did you happen to catch who the person was?"

I gulped. I looked to Nick in distress but he signaled me to calm down.

"Um, not really. I was tending to my wounds, and the next thing I saw was the three mammals, incapacitated." Nick explained.

"So you're saying is the mysterious person took down three animals in an instant?" Judy raised her eyebrows, clearly had doubt with Nick's explanation.

"Yes." That's the only word he replied.

"Was this true, Ken?"

"Y-yeah." I said with a slight uncertainty on my tone.

A long sigh can be heard from Judy. "Okay, I trust you two." She finally said.

Me and Nick showed an expression of relief. I mean, who likes to be questioned like that?

"Okay, did you remember those three mammals?" Judy asked Nick.

"Ah…the thing is, I've never met them before…so no, no I don't."

"Great. More paperwork for us." Judy pouted. Wait, maybe the pictures I took would help them!

"Guys...? I took a picture of them earlier. You can see it if you want." I spoke up, catching the two's attention.

"Whoa, really? When did you take them?"

"There were walking across the street earlier just when you took Nick to the doctor. I had a feeling I should take more evidence from them, so I took some pictures."

"Dammit, really bad timing on our part. But at least we got some. Thanks Ken!" She thanked me with I smile. I smiled back, naturally.

"You're welcome. That's the least I can do after what you've done to me."

The drive wasn't long before we arrived to our destination. A huge building could be seen in front of my eyes. Many animals can be seen entering and exiting the building, some which are cops, some are civilians. I can't help but feel safe. After all, this is what life's all about, right? I exited the car, and followed them inside the building.

This is gonna be a great day.

* * *

**Surprise update! For some reason, the site didn't show that the fan fiction has been updated, so I'm trying to fix it. Until then, see you on the next chapter! I can't wait to write Leina's POV! (No, it's not in the next chapter.)**


	6. Exploration

The first thing I saw in there was an overweight cheetah. 'Overweight' might a bit too much; 'chubby' would be the best word to describe him. He was wearing a dark blue police uniform, same as all the other officers in the building. Only Judy and Nick that weren't wearing their uniforms. We walked up to the cheetah on the front desk.

Hey, Clawhauser." Judy greeted him with a warm smile.

"Welcome back Judy!" He replied in a flamboyant tone, "I see you have a new person over there." He looked at me, sounding exuberant as ever. "Mind if you introduce him to me, hm?"

"Uh, hello! My name is Ken, and…I met these two officers earlier." I introduced myself to Clawhauser, "Although it wasn't exactly the best introduction, they've helped so much!" I said in a cheerful voice.

"It was nothing. Heck, you even saved me earlier!" Nick spoke up.

"Yeah, you even took evidence of them! You've been a really great help to us too." Judy added. I feel myself became redder. Can they see it, though?

"It seems that you've become friends already!" Clawhauser said, "So what do you need, Judy? I thought you and Nick took a day off." He asked.

"Oh yeah, I wanted you to analyze these papers." Judy took out her own wallet and gave Clawhauser my money.

"Whoa, that's a lot of money you have there!" Clawhauser said in surprise.

"Yep. It's Ken's. Apparently he had a lot of money coming here." She winked audibly at me.

"Ah, I see. In that case, let me get to it right away. Judy, follow me!" the cheetah said, getting out of his workplace and walking to the left side of the building. Judy followed behind him. Me and Nick decided to sit somewhere.

"So, uh, Nick." I asked one we were seated.

"Yeah, bucko?" he replied with his usual smirk on his face.

"Tell me a bit about yourself." I said, unfazed by his smirk. I've gotten used to it by now, even though we've just met today.

"Well, let's just say my life would've been different from today if that bunny never intervened in my life."

"Huh?" I tilted my head.

"I became a cop not too long ago." He explained, "I've never thought of being a cop. At least not until Carrots convinced me."

"So what have you been doing before that?"

"I was a con artist back in the day since I was twelve. My family was poor, and my father left us when I was five, or maybe six. I truly despised him." Nick gritted his teeth. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that…

"…sorry, I didn't know you had such a rough past." I lowered my head.

"Nah, don't worry, I've gotten over it. It's all in the past, nothing much I can do." Nick smiled.

I took out my phone. I didn't know what to do with it, so I just kinda stared at it for about a minute until Nick spoke up.

"Hey, let's exchange numbers. Would be bad if you got lost in the city, and I honestly don't want more paperwork for a missing person." Nick said, smug as ever.

"Err…yeah, sure." Nick took my phone and started adding his number into my Contacts.

"Wow, I've never seen a phone brand like this before." Nick said, examining my phone intently.

"Well, it's not exactly the kind of brand you'd see here every day."

"Heh, true." He grinned. "Okay, here you go. I also added Carrots' number there, just in case." He winked and gave me the phone back.

"Yeah, 'just in case'." I rolled my eyes. Somehow I can imagine Nick telling Judy dirty jokes at night. Ew.

"What's with that look?" He asked. Oops, I must've shown my disgust.

"Nothing!" I quickly responded, looking forward while adjusting my scarf.

"Hmm…" Nick stared at me for a while, before releasing a small 'eh'.

We casually talked about ourselves before Judy came back. She came running towards us with a joyful expression. I suppose the inspection went well?

"Guys!" She said, catching her breath, "It's genuine after all! Ken, you're one lucky fox!" She said gleefully.

"Really!? Thank goodness..."

"And look who's finally rich here." Nick smirked at me.

"Hey, I said that's nothing." I snapped.

"And that's a good thing...?"

"Anyways, here's your money." Judy gave me the papers back. I stored it in my wallet, trying not to remember what's behind the picture.

So will I finally attend school here? Will I finally forget the fact that I died recently? One thing I know, though, is that whatever happens here, I'm sure they'll be at my side. I smiled.

"Hey, look who is happy today!" Nick said, rubbing my head.

"Yeah! I can't thank you guys enough for this!" I bowed down repeatedly, expressing my gratitude.

"No biggie, really!" Judy responded, trying to stop me bowing. "Okay, moving on." She continued, "You said that you took pictures of the three animals earlier. Can you show them to me?" Judy asked.

"Oh, yes, here they are." I took out my phone and opened the Gallery, showing Judy the suspects I took earlier.

"Hmm…" Judy muttered, taking out a notepad and a carrot-like pen, and then started scribbling which I assume the details of the suspects. She looks so cute doing that!

"A wolf wearing a blue suit…a weasel wearing a tank top and cargo pants…and a buffalo wearing…" she paused for a second, but then resumed writing, but without her muttering this time. What DID the buffalo wore? I kind of forgot the whole situation myself.

"Okay!" Judy said, putting away her stuff, "Can you also send me the pictures? For reference purposes."

"Of course." I opened the messaging app, chose Judy's contact and attached the pictures I've taken.

"Oh, I never gave you my number, did I? Type it down, it's-"

"Don't worry. Nick already gave it along with his." I cut her sentence off with a smile. I guess his 'just in case' situation did help.

"…yeah, that works too, I guess." Judy said, looking at Nick, which he just gave an innocent shrug. Still with the smirking, though.

It took a minute before the pictures got sent to Judy's phone.

"It's here. Thanks, Ken!" Judy and I put our phones away.

"Don't mention it."

We said our goodbyes to Clawhauser before going back to the cruiser again. Nick said he and Judy still had time on their day off, so they decided to go somewhere instead of staying on the station. The sun had already set, glimmering dots visibly scattered on the sky. I looked at the time on my phone. 7 PM. Time does fly so quickly. I finally went into the vehicle, with Judy driving as usual.

"So where are we going now?" I asked enthusiastically.

"How about we grab a bite?" Nick proposed.

_Food._ I had forgotten about that almost entirely. I never knew I was so hungry until he mentioned it. What do they eat here, anyway? Definitely not meat, that's for sure. I'm not very fond with veggies either. There's also fruit, but I rarely eat those too. And if I'm not mistaken, I went into a restaurant called Bug-Burga earlier, which I assume they serve…bugs. Nope, not touching those. So I'm left with either veggies or fruits. I'd eat anything other than bugs.

"Sure. All that event that happened this day kinda took a toll on my hunger anyways." Judy agreed.

"I'm hungry as well, but…" I paused for a bit, then continued, "…not to be rude, but what do you guys eat on a daily basis here?" I finally blurted the question.

"Oh yeah, what DO you humans eat every day?" Nick asked back.

"Err…I'd rather not talk about it…" I answered, my voice trailing off. Goddammit, I can't just say that I eat meat! That will probably offend most if not all of Zootopia!

"Hmm…" Nick raised his eyebrows questioningly, "...eh, who cares." Nick finally let out a shrug. Whew, another bullet dodged. "To answer your original question," Nick continued, "I know for a fact that Carrots here eat carrots." Nick turned to Judy, the signature smirk on his face.

"Hardy-har-har." I could see Judy's eyes rolled, "I eat other vegetables too, just so you know. And I know for a fact as well that this smug looking fox only eats pawpsicles." Judy countered. Are they seriously arguing over a choice of meal? Not that I'm complaining, seeing them like this always melts my heart.

"Lady, you wound me." Nick said in a dramatic tone. "For your information, I eat a daily dose of blueberries and grasshoppers, thank you very much."

Me and Judy could be seen gagging over Nick's mentioning of grasshoppers. Nick looked in surprise at me.

"Judy being disgusted at grasshoppers are one thing, but why did you make the same expression as her, Ken?" Nick asked me. Did he really think I eat bugs as well? Ew, hell no.

"Of course! I don't eat bugs! Those are gross!" I exclaimed in disgust. I could hear Judy chuckling.

"Damn. And here I thought I've found a perfect little brother…" Nick said. I don't know if he's being sarcastic or honest.

But…a little brother? Did he really think of me as his little brother? That sounds…heartwarming, actually. I never had a brother in my life before. It would be really nice if…wait, what am I thinking about? There's no way he considers me as a brother…right?

"…Ken? Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"

Nick snapped me out from my thoughts, "Ah, sorry! I was just thinking about something…" I replied, trying to look normal as possible. I seriously need to stop spacing out. "Anyways, I think I'll just have a fruit salad for tonight."

"If that's what you want, then okay." Judy said, "I think I'll have one as well. It's not that heavy of a meal; perfect for dinner. And I know just the place!" She continued confidently.

I can't consider fruit salad a 'dinner', to be honest. But seeing how limited my choices are, I think I'll take anything that's presented to me. Except for bugs. To hell with them.

We chatted along the way, with the occasional banter from Nick and Judy. I can never get bored with these two. Soon enough, we arrived at our destination. A medium sized building can be seen on the front, with a sign beside it that says: 'Misty's Café'.

"Here we are! They just opened up, too!" Judy said, in her ever so cheerful tone.

"Looks good enough." Nick said, examining the place.

"As long as we can eat, I guess." I added.

We got out of the car and made a beeline into the Café's entrance. The first thing we smelled was the aroma of coffee. It was so good! We walked to the counter with a lioness stationed there. She was wearing a uniform, which I assume was the Café's own uniform. My view was brought to the display case next to it though. Assortments of cakes and other pastry are lined neatly on the shelf. I gazed at them, drool almost dripped out of my mouth. Heh, I need to control myself over food.

"Welcome to Misty's Café! What can I get you?" The lioness said in a polite manner. I looked at her nametag on her uniform. 'Misty'. Oh, so she's Misty. Does she run this place by herself?

"Yeah. I would like two fruit salads and…" Judy turned to Nick.

"A slice of blueberry cake, please." Nick finished Judy's sentence.

"So two fruit salads and a slice of blueberry cake." Misty said, interacting with the cash register. "That will 14 dollars."

Judy took out her money and paid Misty. "Thanks for your purchase!"

We then went to an empty table, waiting for our order to come.

"So Judy, what makes you want to be a police officer?" I asked the first question that popped in my mind.

"Well, I've always dreamed of being one when I was a kid." Judy replied, "Helping people, fighting crime, I've always wanted to do that. And it wasn't easy doing that, being a bunny and all. But with Nick at my side, I feel like I can do anything." She replied with a smile, looking at Nick.

"Except that you always brings us trouble. Remember that last case we handled before? If you had just listened to me, that building wouldn't have been destroyed!" Nick said to Judy.

"But it was a success, and nobody was hurt!" Judy argued.

"That's not the point. What I'm trying to say is that you're too rash sometimes. You need to think more before you act. If you had just listened to me, the building would've made it out in one piece!"

"But your plan was totally nuts! How was I…" they continued arguing.

Well, can't say that I'm surprised. One mistake and Nick would comment on it. One joke and Judy would misinterpret it. They can actually make a pretty good couple. I can't help but smile at their current situation.

"Hey guys, keep it down. We're kinda in a public place, and I don't want to attract unwanted attention." I said in the midst of their argument. They stopped after a while.

"Ugh, sorry you had to watch all of that, Ken." Judy apologized.

"No, it's okay. It's actually kinda cute, seeing you two arguing."

I saw Judy blushing, with Nick sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"Anyways, our order has come." Nick said. A lion in a uniform walked up to us, carrying a tray. He put our orders on the table, before bowing and going back to counter.

"They're very polite, aren't they?" I said.

"Yeah, I wish people were more polite as they are. Not like someone I know." Judy said, obviously hinting at Nick.

"Yeah, yeah, always blame Nick. You too should learn a thing or two from them." He smirked. _Sigh_ , not again.

"ANYWAYS, let's eat!" I cut them out, preventing any further arguments.

* * *

We finished our meal and thanked Misty and her other employee goodbye before returning to the cruiser. The salad was actually pretty great than what I expected. Nick said the cake was sublime too. So I guess that's a pretty great meal overall. I checked the time on a tall building near the Café, with an image of a gazelle below it. 9 PM. It's getting late, and oddly similar to last night as well. Well, before that accident of mine.

"I'm so sleepy…" Nick said with his eyes half closed.

"No wonder. You didn't have your coffee this morning, did you?"

"Let's not talk about that…"

"Heh. Well it's getting pretty late anyways, so I'll drive you to your apartment."

"Okay….thanks, Carrots."

The pairing…it's so perfect. So I guess I'm gonna sleep at Nick's apartment. Better than having no roof to sleep on. Judy drove us across the city, past the station, and finally onto a street with apartment buildings filling the area.

"Okay, here we are." Judy said, parking in front of an apartment building. I got out of the vehicle, stretching my body. Nick followed, woozily walking to the apartment.

"Bye Judy!" I said goodbye, waving at her.

"Bye Carrots…" Nick yawned, also waving at her.

"Bye! Be careful you two! See you tomorrow!" Judy replied, driving off in the distance.

We went inside the building, Nick looked eagerly to fall down on his bed. We took the elevator to the 5th floor. The elevator opened, and a dimly lit corridor greeted us. My eyes automatically adjusted to them. Is this what having night vision feels like? Nick walked forward, and I followed behind his back. He stopped on a certain door, pulling out his keys. I tilted my head so I can see the plate on the door; the number 512 was written over it. Nick opened the door, and we finally arrived at Nick's room.

The room wasn't exactly big, but it was enough for two- no, three people to sleep in. There's a kitchen to the left of and the bathroom to the right of the room's door. I looked through every part of the room; there's a wardrobe on the other end of the room, a TV stationed on a desk in front of the bed, and some room between it. The bed was suited for one person only, so I guess I'm sleeping on the floor. Eh, no biggie. Nick went to his wardrobe, picking an air bed and a blanket. He also took an air pump, I guess for pumping the bed.

"Here, take this and pump it yourself." Nick said, his eyes barely open.

"Okay, thanks!" I said.

"Just don't overwork yourself." He yawned, before crashing on his bed. "Good night." He muttered.

"Night." I replied. I began pumping the air bed, which surprisingly took minimal effort to do so. I put the bed next to the wardrobe. For some reason I don't like sleeping near people. I guess that's a habit of mine. I closed the curtain to the balcony, and laid down on the bed, covering myself with the soft blanket.

_"What's gonna happen tomorrow, I wonder? I just hope nothing bad happens."_ I thought to myself, before drifting into a deep sleep.

And thus, my first day in Zootopia was over.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay! First of all, I want to thank you for giving this a try. I never thought people would read this mess, let alone Favorite-ing it! So thank you so much for your guys' support, I'd never continue making this without your motivations. Also, I just finished this at midnight, so forgive me for any occasional typos here and there. So as always, I will see you in the next chapter! Good night!**


	7. Trials, Part 1

I woke up startlingly to a beeping sound of an alarm clock. I rubbed my eyes a bit, checking where the sound came from. It was on a desk next to Nick's bed. 5:30 AM. I could see Nick trying to reach for the clock, failing a few times but finally hitting it. He then…continued sleeping? I yawned and went back to sleep myself.

A while later, I finally woke up. After stretching my arms and body, I went to see the time on the clock. 6:00 AM. So I only slept for thirty minutes after Nick's predicament? I usually wake up on 8 AM, never early than that. I shrugged, thinking it's just me adapting to my new life. The first thing I thought was to shower. I must've been in a horrible state after all that, so I went to the bathroom, removed my clothes, and turned the faucet. Warm water poured to my face, then to my fur, removing all the stain of yesterday's events. After washing my body with Nick's only liquid soap, I then tried to brush my teeth. But I realized most of my teeth must've been replaced with fangs. I searched for Nick's toothbrush, spotting it on the left side of the bathroom. The toothbrush is bigger from what I've used before. I shrugged, but eventually used it.

From the running water of the bathroom, I could hear Nick waking up as well. I guess he must've heard me.

"Ken, are you in the bathroom?" I could hear Nick asking.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a second!" I replied, turning the faucet on the reverse. Water stopped pouring from the showerhead on top and I grabbed a towel I brought from the wardrobe. I dried myself off before putting my clothes back on and then stepped out of the bathroom.

"Okay, I'm done." I said, eyeing him. Nick could be seen yawning while sitting on his bed. He strolled to the bathroom after.

"Hmm…" I muttered to myself. "I need new clothes."

I instinctively walked to Nick's wardrobe, checking any available clothing. What I saw witnessed were rows of Hawaiian shirts with different colors.

"Are you serious?" I muttered, before continuing to search the wardrobe. Thankfully there's a normal green tee concealed on the back of the closet. I also tried his pants, but none of them fitted me. I guess I'm stuck with my trousers until I get a new one. I sighed then swapped the clothes with the one I'm wearing, putting the old one in a laundry basket next to the wardrobe, and then finally wearing my scarf. I could never get anywhere with this.

As soon as I did that, I heard a knock on the door.

_"Hey Nick! Ken? It's me, Judy!"_ Her voice could be heard. I walked up to the door and then opened it.

"Good morning, Ken!" Judy greeted me with a heartwarming smile. She seemed to be carrying two bags.

"Morning." I replied, "Come in, Nick's still in the bathroom." Judy went inside while I closed the door behind her.

"Hey Nick, I brought your coffee!" Judy shouted at the bathroom.

"Yeah, just put it on the counter!" He shouted back. Judy took a tall white cup from one of her bags and put it on the kitchen counter.

"I got one for you too." Judy said, handing another cup to me.

"Aw, thanks!" I took the cup from Judy. I inspected the cup, looking for a brand of some sort. 'Misty's Café' could be seen from the other end of the cup. So this is from Misty's. Neat. I opened the lid off the cup, and a strong fragrance of coffee beans erupted.

"Mmm! It smells so good!" I commented.

"Yeah, those guys really know how to brew great coffees." Judy replied.

I finally took a sip of the coffee. It was pure sublimity. I've never drunk coffee this amazing before! "The taste is marvelous!" I remarked in astonishment.

"Haha, I know, right? When I first tasted it, I had the same reaction as you!" Judy said. "Oh, and I also brought you food as well." Judy grabbed his other bag. "It's blueberries! I figured you'd like it." She said.

"Thanks." I picked the bag from her. Sure enough, inside of it was blueberries. But still better than nothing, huh? I plucked one into my mouth. It's surprisingly good! I never thought eating raw fruits would taste as good as this. As I continued eating the morsels, Nick finally stepped out of his bathroom with only a towel covering his lower torso.

"Carrots, can you please step out for a minute? I need to change." Nick said, narrowing his eyes.

"Uh, er…yeah!" She said erratically, with a hint of red on her cheeks. "C'mon, Ken! Let Nick change his clothes!" She dragged me along out of the room. But why me…?

Five minutes passed and Nick finally shouted 'I'm done!' from his room. We then went inside. Nick could be seen wearing a dark blue police uniform with a black tie. Better than his usual attire by any means.

"You look great!" I commented.

"Thanks, but this is just the same as the ones the guys in the precinct wears."

"Still, it looks ten times better than your usual shirt!"

"Heh, even Ken agreed that you have a lousy fashion sense." Judy smirked at Nick.

"Whatever." Nick shrugged, "Anyways, where's my coffee?" he asked.

"It's over there." Judy answered, pointing at the kitchen counter.

"Thanks. I owe you one, Carrots." Nick winked at her.

"Blegh." Judy sounded disgusted.

Yep, just a normal morning. Nothing new here.

"What about you Ken? You're coming with us, right?"

"I'll pass. I'm just gonna stay here until you guys come back."

"Are you sure?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, I've always been living by myself, so I know a thing or two about self-caring." I said proudly.

"…if you say so. Just call us if anything bad happens, okay?" Judy said, looking concerned.

"I know. Anyways, aren't you getting late by now?" I said, looking at my phone's clock. 6:45 AM was shown.

"Oh dang you're right. Hurry, Nick! I don't want to get shouted again by the chief!" She said frantically before running out from the room.

"Coming." Nick replied with his usual smirk. "Say, how old are you again?" Nick asked me smugly.

"…right. I'm seventeen." I answered.

"I see." Nick said, walking to the door. "Take care of yourself little buddy." He finally closed the door.

I don't know why, but I sensed a hint of kindness from those words. Maybe it's just me…

* * *

I turned the TV on while carrying the bag of blueberries to Nick's bed. I ended up watching a news channel. Two reporters were discussing about something behind their desk, one being a tigress and one being a moose. I read the headline on the bottom of the screen; 'Antidote for the Night Howlers proved effective', 'Savage animals had not been found since the arresting of former Mayor Dawn Bellwether', and other political stuff that I don't understand. Apparently predators had been turned savage by this Bellwether person's henchmen, but Judy has captured the mastermind. Nice Job Judy, I never thought you'd be this famous.

I was enjoying the news and the blueberries until I heard a loud crash below, which I assumed was from the lower floors of the apartment. I went into the balcony, trying to see something unusual, but nothing came up into view. I sighed, then went back into the room, locking the door to the balcony in case of something happened. I strolled back to the bed, continuing to watch the news.

Time passed by. I've eaten all the blueberries, but my hunger was satisfied. I was getting bored, though. I took out my phone, trying to find a game to play, but decided to hear music instead. I muted the TV, took out my earphones that I always carry around, plugged it into my phone, and started playing some music. I took a last glance at the time before putting it away; 10 PM. Still have half a day to go. I wonder what Nick and Judy are doing…

I was so absorbed by the music that I almost didn't hear a loud knocking on the door. I put my earphones aside but kept my phone in my pocket. Are they back already? I turned to see the clock on Nick's desk; 10:45 was shown there. I went to the door, thinking who might be knocking if it wasn't them. I opened the door and was greeted by someone completely unexpected.

A weasel and a buffalo wearing exactly like the guys I encountered yesterday stood in front of me.

_Fuck, what are they doing here?_ _Heck, how did they get here?_ _I need to act as normal as possible…_

"Hello there, sirs. Can I help you with something?" I said, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Right." The weasel replied, "Does a fox called Nick Wilde live here?" he asked.

_Shit, they're going after Nick too? This is worse than I thought. I need to inform him and fast._

"Nope, never heard of him." I lied, "I've lived here for two months, and I've never heard that name before." I said, looking friendly as I could.

"But we've asked the reception below, and she told us that he lives here. Unless you're lying…" He countered, narrowing his eyes. Shit, was my lie blown? I should've thought of that! What do I do, what do I do…?

"Hey, aren't you that fox that was with him yesterday? I swore I've seen that scarf before." The buffalo added, pointing at my scarf.

_Oh shit, of course they'd recognize my scarf! I wore it yesterday, totally exposed. I need to end this conversation before they recognize me._

"Sorry, you must have gotten the wrong person wearing the same scarf. I actually have a lot of school work to do, so I shall bid you folks goodbye." I said before closing the door in an instant, not forgetting to lock it.

I immediately went to the bathroom and locked myself in while trying to sound as quiet as possible. I dialed Judy.

…

…

…

No answer. Shit. Let's try Nick's phone.

…

…

…

_"Hello, Ken? What's up?"_ Nick finally answered. Thank God.

"Nick, I'm in a really big trouble. Remember those guys from yesterday? Well, they're outside the room right now!"

_"What!?"_ Nick yelped in surprise, _"Okay, calm down and listen. Tell me where are you are right now. I'll be there with reinforcements as soon as possible!"_

"I've locked myself in the bathroom. But I think one of them recognized my scarf I wore yesterday. It won't be long until they finally recognize me!"

_"Don't worry, just stay in there and don't make a sound."_

"Okay…" I whimpered. I needed to stay calm, but deep down I was afraid of them.

_"Stay on the line, okay? I'm coming in your way!"_

I sat on the toilet quietly, waiting for Nick to come to my rescue. But what I heard wasn't even remotely close. A loud crash could be heard from outside the bathroom. I think they've struck down the front door! Chills immediately were sent down on my spine.

_"What was that sound!?"_ Nick asked frantically.

"I think they just broke down the front door... Nick, what should I do!?" I asked pleadingly. I honestly felt terrified. I couldn't stop the pressure from getting to me.

_"Just…calm down, and wait for me!"_

A moment later, another sound crash echoed from outside. Well, there goes Nick's wardrobe. What are they gonna smash next, the TV?

As if on answering my question, another crash could be heard outside. But it was not the TV, it was…the bathroom door!

"Nick, they're breaking down the door to the bathroom!" I yelled at the phone. Probably not the best course of action I've done in this current situation, but what else could I do?

_"Dammit!"_ Nick cursed, _"Just hang in there, I'm almost there!"_ Nick reassured me. I don't think that's working, though, as the assailant behind the door was still breaking it down.

My vision starts to blur from all the tension, and suddenly…the door broke down. I immediately turned my phone off, putting it in my pocket unnoticeably. I saw the buffalo carrying a large bat, with the weasel behind him.

"Well, well, well. It seems our intel was right all along." The weasel spoke up, walking towards me.

"What do you guys want from me!? Money!? You can have all my money, just leave me alone!" I yelled at them pleadingly, hoping they will leave me unscathed.

"Hahaha, not quite. What we want is something more…personal." The weasel smirked with malicious intent. I looked at them with horror on my face before the weasel snapped his fingers.

The last thing I saw was the buffalo swinging his bat directly at my head. My consciousness then faded, drifting into the sea of darkness. _Again._

* * *

**Okay, I originally wanted to continue typing the rest of the chapter, but I ran out of time, so I decided to make this chapter a multi-part one. So…yeah, sorry for the sudden cliffhanger. But anyways, as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night! (Am I becoming a fanfic version of Markiplier now? xD)**


	8. Trials, Part 2

"Are you sure we should leave Ken alone? I mean, he did want to stay there by himself, but I can't help but feel worried about him…" Judy asked with concern while driving the cruiser.

"He's gonna be fine. Trust me." Nick replied, smirking.

"I know, but…" Judy seems hesitated.

"Well if something did happen, I'm sure he will give us a call. He's a smart kid, I can tell you that."

"…I guess you're right. I'm being too paranoid, sorry."

"Don't worry about it Carrots. We should be worrying about the Chief instead. I shudder at the thought of him giving us parking duties again." Nick grinned.

"Heh, not on my watch!" Judy said, her confidence rising. She floored the pedal, hoping that they're not late for the roll call.

They finally arrived at the precinct 10 minutes after the drive. It was not too far from Nick's apartment. They got out of the vehicle and swiftly ran to the bullpen, greeting Clawhauser on the way. Judy opened the bullpen's door slowly and peeked through.

"Oh Thank God, we're just in time." She exhaled as she comes into the room with Nick following her back. They seated together on the front row of the room because there was no available seating left, but they just went with it since both of them were small. A large Cape buffalo came through a door on the other end of the room with the other officers cheering of his enter.

"Alright, that's enough." The buffalo chided them, "First things first, I have to thank Officer Hopps for providing crucial evidence of yesterday's assault on officer Wilde." He announced with the rest of the team cheering in the background directed at Judy and Nick.

"So our top priority is to apprehend these convicts. I will assign officers Delgato and Fangmeyer into this case. Everyone else will be continuing their previous tasks. As for officer Hopps…" the Chief turned to her, "I need you to make reports of yesterday's events, while Officer Wilde will be resuming his patrol in the city. That is all. Dismissed." He concluded, taking a piece of paper off his podium and went out of the room. Others followed suit, with Nick and Judy staying.

"Great. Now I have to make reports of what YOU encountered." Judy said, sighing.

"Cheer up, Carrots. Maybe you'll actually find our suspects!" Nick cheered her.

"Maybe. But I'm not getting my hopes up since our only lead was Ken's pictures of them."

"Well, I guess this is the first time we're doing something different on our own, huh?"

"Yeah..." Judy muttered, "But don't worry, I think it's only for this particular day."

"You think?" Nick smirked, "Well anyways, I'll see you later, Carrots." Nick said, walking out to the front office.

"Later." Judy replied, heading off the opposite direction.

Nick then went to Clawhauser, asking to borrow a compatible vehicle for him since he can't use Judy's cruiser.

"Yeah, you can use Officer Wolford's patrol car! He had left his keys on me, so I guess you can use his. I'll tell him that you'll be using it!" Clawhauser said, picking a set of keys.

"Sure, whatever that can get me on the streets." Nick replied, taking the keys from Clawhauser. Nick strolled down the parking area, scouting said vehicle. He found it between two big SUVs parked beside it, which made it harder for Nick to search. The car was slightly smaller from Judy's cruiser, but a little longer. He pressed the remote on the keys, unlocking it with a familiar beep. He then proceeded to enter the car.

The interior of the car is similar to Judy's, but without a mesh wire in the middle. So it's more like a standard car; perfect for patrolling rather than finding criminals. The driver's side of the car is suited for medium-sized animals, like wolves, foxes, lions, etc. Perfect for Nick's size too. He then started the car's engine but someone had knocked the window next to him, catching his attention. He lowered the window and was greeted by a grey-furred wolf wearing a navy ZPD t-shirt with blue jeans, smiling.

"Oh hey…" Nick trailed off, trying to remember his name, "Wolford! See, I need to borrow your car for today, if that's okay for you!" Nick said, sounding charismatic as ever.

"Yeah, you're on patrol duty, aren't you? I heard from Clawhauser that you're borrowing my car." The wolf replied, "I don't have any impending task at the moment, so can I tag along with you?"

"Sure, the more the merrier!" Nick answered, his signature smirk never leaving his face.

Wolford went into the front passenger seat, with Nick still driving. Nick then took off from the parking lot, heading into the city.

"So where are we going?" The wolf asked.

"Eh, pretty much the same places me and Judy used to frequent. It's not like something bad is going to happen." Nick replied.

"Heh, I hope so." Wolford grinned.

* * *

"Ugh…it's so boring!" Nick complained. "It's been 3 hours already and we still haven't seen something interesting!

"Aren't you happy that nothing is happening?"

"I mean, I am, but it's not the same day without Judy!"

"Well sorry that I don't meet your expectations." Wolford shrugged, leaning on his seat.

"That's not what I meant." Nick sighed, "Ugh...I think I'm gonna get a coffee."

"At this time? Really?"

"What, you don't like coffee?" Nick teased, driving to a particular coffee shop.

After about 20 minutes of searching, Nick had finally found the place.

"If I'm not wrong, I think this is the place Judy showed me last night." Nick said, looking at the sign next to the store; 'Misty's Café' was written over it, "Yep, this is definitely the place."

"So you and Judy went here last night? I wonder what you guys did here…" Wolford asked with a smirk.

"Whatever that's in your mind, clear it." Nick shook his head, "We came here last night with our…distant friend that was not from the city." he explained.

"Oh. I never knew you had contacts from outside the city. Neat." Wolford remarked in astonishment.

"The more you know." Nick countered his smirk, "Do you want anything?"

"Nah, no thanks."

"Suit yourself." Nick said, getting out of the car and into the shop.

5 minutes later, Nick left the shop and went inside the car again while carrying a cup of coffee.

"Happy now?" Wolford teased.

"Quite so." Nick replied, sipping his coffee.

Shortly after, Nick phone rang violently, signaling an incoming call that almost spills Nick's coffee. He promptly picked it up; it was from Ken. Nick's face perked up and accepted the call.

"Hello, Ken? What's up?" He responded.

_"Nick, I'm in a really big trouble. Remember those guys from yesterday? Well, they're outside the room right now!"_ Ken's muffled voice could be heard. Nick's expression suddenly went blank, then reality suddenly hit him.

"What!?" Nick yelled, startling the wolf next to him, "Okay…calm down and listen. Tell me where you are right now. I'll be there with reinforcements as I soon as possible!" Nick said anxiously, flooring the gas pedal towards his apartment.

" _I've locked myself in the bathroom. But I think one of them recognized my scarf I wore yesterday. It won't be long until they finally recognize me!"_ Ken replied with a sense of fear in his voice.

"Don't worry. Just stay in there and don't make a sound!" Nick reassured him.

" _Okay…"_ Nick could hear Ken whimpering.

"Stay on the line, okay? I'm coming in your way!"

It's not that long of a drive from the café to Nick's apartment, but Nick kept his pace.

"Hey, what was that just now?" Wolford asked with concern.

"Remember the case Judy brought yesterday? Well, the guys behind it are now at my place. Worse of all, my friend that I mentioned earlier is in there!"

"Holy shit…" Wolford gasped in disbelief but immediately radioed Clawhauser over, telling him to send officers Delgato and Fangmeyer to Nick's apartment, whatever the coordinate is.

"Thanks, I owe you one." Nick thanked the wolf.

"No problem, it's kinda becoming our problem now."

A minute later, a loud crash could be heard from Ken's end.

"What was that sound!?" Nick asked in distress.

" _I think they just broke down the front door. Nick, what should I do!?"_ the voice pleaded.

"Just…calm down, and wait for me!" Nick reassured him once more. Only a whimper could be heard as a reply.

"Shit, they just broke my front door! Goddammit all!" Nick said furiously.

"You should calm down as well. Let's just hope we will make it in time."

"You're right…" Nick took a deep breath.

As if to crush their hopes, Ken's voice yelled from the phone with fear masking it.

" _Nick, they're breaking down the door to the bathroom!"_

"Dammit!" Nick yelped, "Just hang in there, I'm almost there!" Nick said, eyeing the intersection that leads to his apartment block. Just as things couldn't get any better, Ken's voice got cut off.

"Ken? Ken!? Are you there!?" Nick looked at his phone; the call had been disconnected. "Fuck!" Nick cursed with apparent rage in his tone.

"This doesn't look so good…"

"You think!?" Nick snapped at Wolford, retracting a bit from his seat. "Ugh, sorry…" Nick sighed, letting out a deep breath.

" _Why am I acting like this? I'm not usually raging like this, what's happening to me?"_ Nick thought to himself.

"It's okay man, I know you're furious, but we need to stay calm at all times." Wolford reminded him.

"I know, I just…" Nick's voice trailed off, before letting out a big sigh.

The intersection finally came and he immediately turned, heading towards the apartment. He parked the car haphazardly in front of the building and then swiftly went to the elevator with Wolford following him close. 'Ding', goes the elevator. They ran to Nick's room and a noticed that the door was smashed open. Gritting his teeth, they readied their taser and proceeded inside the room, only to be greeted by chaos. The room was in full mess; the wardrobe got smashed, the bed turned over, among other things. But Nick's gaze was focused on the bathroom. The door was smashed open as same as the front door. He went inside, and…

Nothing. Nothing was there. They had taken Ken, and they were too late. Nick slumped onto the sea of wooden fragments, his face pale as a ghost. This was only just a beginning of a terrifying chain of events.

* * *

My consciousness was slowly returning with my head throbbing in pain; it felt like it was going to split in two, but I endured it as much as I could. I then opened my eyes, finding that I was in a car of some sorts. Whatever it was, I was definitely inside a moving vehicle. I checked my surroundings, it seems that I'm in some kind of a limo car; there was a closed sliding hatch on the front side, a couch on the back, a mini bar on the right, and a door to the left.

" _What I've gotten myself into…?"_ I thought, clutching my pained head.

I went to the window to see where I current was. The landscape was covered in heavy snow and I couldn't seem to find any people that could help me.

" _I could try escaping from the door. I think the snow can break my fall."_ I thought. I certainly had never done this sort of thing before, so I wasn't sure of the results. But I needed to escape by any means possible.

My face was frozen with shock when I felt the car stopping. Shit, did I take too long to think? I looked to the window again and was met with a large storage facility, which I assume was unused or abandoned since there were no security or staffs stationed there. I need to think fast: what should I do before they come to me?

My mind suddenly clicked and I pulled out my phone, opening the Messaging app. I chose Nick from my list of contacts and started to type furiously.

" _Nick, I've been abducted by the two mammals from yesterday to a snowy-like location. There's a big storage building here, which I assume to be their base of operations. Please hurry and save me, I don't think I can hold on much longer."_

Additionally, I took a photo of the building and attached it to the message. *click*, the message was sent. Now I need to pretend like I was still unconscious. I laid down on the floor, trying to mimic the position I was earlier. I could hear the door open, and I held onto my fate.

"Heh, he's still out cold, huh? What a weakling, I guess all that show from yesterday was for nothing." A voice said.

"Be careful, he might wake up. I don't want more trouble if he wakes up." A deeper voice said, which started to pick up my body. Need to stay calm…

"What can he do?" The other voice laughed, his footsteps fading away. The person carrying me started to walk as well.

After a while, I was put in some kind of a room. Rotting wood made a foul odor on the air, but I need to stay calm. I heard their footsteps getting further away, with a door closing in the end. I took a minute to stay silent for not attracting any people that were probably stationed outside the room.

I opened my eyes after that, finding myself in a really different atmosphere. The floor was unkempt, the walls were disheveled with some of its planks tearing down, and there was a light bulb on the ceiling; my only single source of light.

I stood up, examining the room further. There was a worn down couch on the left corner and a door leading outside. I tried turning the handle, but apparently it was locked. Sighing, I sat on the couch, picking up my phone. 12 PM. Nick hadn't replied to his message too, probably because there was no service there. I put it away, and started thinking for a way to escape this dilapidated facility.

* * *

**Part 2 of Chapter 7! This is the last part of the chapter, so the next chapter will be chapter 8. Anyways, the site kinda fucked up, not updating this story in the list. Gg site, you deserve a round of applause. But as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good day!**


	9. Tribulations

I paced around the decrepit room, trying to find a way out and examining any opening that may lead to the outside world. But unfortunately, there were no such thing.

_"Hmm…"_ I kept pacing, _"I can think of 2 different scenarios, one that involves breaking the door, and another involves waiting until they come back and then strike them from behind."_ I thought. I went to inspect the door, but the door was surprisingly thick! It was made from iron and seemed to be in top shape; it didn't have any dents or stains or something like that. It really stood out from the room.

_"I guess that invalids the idea of breaking out."_ I shook my head, rubbing my chin _"It leaves me with only one choice: wait for them to come and strike them from behind. But I don't have anything to attack them with…"_ My gaze got directed into a shiny object at the corner of the room: a shovel.

_"Yeah, this could work!"_ I took the shovel and attempted to remove the iron part of it. I failed horribly as the shovel was really rusted. _"Oh well, more weight means more impact, I guess."_ I walked to the center of the room. _"I need to rid any source of light too if I want to ambush them. Well, here goes nothing!"_ I raised my shovel upwards and smashed the light bulb on top of me, effectively enveloping the room in complete darkness. I took my phone out and used the light to guide myself to the corner of the room next to the door. _"Let's just hope this works…"_ I sat on the dirt ground, crossing my fingers. The waiting game has finally started.

Time gradually passed and I could finally hear movement outside. The door rattled and I could hear an unlocking sound from it.

_"This is it!"_ I stood up and readied myself from the incoming presence. The door swung open and light filled parts of the room, but I remained silent. I could see a weasel coming in the room, completely unaware of my presence. I immediately stepped out and raised the shovel over my head.

"Take this!" I smacked the weasel directly on his head, knocking him out cold in an instant. He slumped to the floor, eyes devoid of consciousness. I took the time to look at what I just did, but a voice shouted outside the room.

"What the fuck did you do!?"

"Huh!?" I turned my head from the direction of the voice; it was from the buffalo, his expression filled with rage.

_"Shit, I thought he only came by himself! What should I do?"_ Questions popped into my head. The buffalo suddenly picked up his pace, and started charging towards me!

_"I can't lose here, not after everything that had happened!"_ My body was filled with adrenaline and perseverance, giving me hope. I swiftly dodged his sudden outburst to the side and countered with a slash to his thigh, effectively hindering his movement.

"AGHH!" he screamed in pain with his blood splattering on the floor.

"Shut up!" I snapped at him, moving closer. I swung the shovel at his head, knocking him out cold as well.

"Huff…puff…" I panted, observing at the door for any more animals that may come. Nobody came, so I guess no one heard his scream. I peeked outside, looking at my surroundings. Nobody was in sight as well, so I think I'm safe for the time being. I pulled the door slightly so nobody could see their bodies there.

_"Okay…apparently I just knocked them out by myself…how the hell did I do that!?"_ I gasped in disbelief at my own actions but I just shook it off.

_"Okay, stay calm."_ I took a deep breath, _"Let's see if they have some things I could use…"_ I started searching their body for any usable items.

_"What's this?"_ I took an odd looking object from the buffalo's belt strap pocket. It was a taser! _"Well, this will definitely be useful."_ I attached the strap to my belt under my clothes. But something caught my attention near the weasel's body.

_"Is that…a gun!?"_ I eyed a suspicious looking weapon on the weasel's side. I picked it up and inspected it. _"Is this…some kind of a tranquilizer gun? Thank God, I thought this was a real gun."_ I exhaled in relief, strapping it onto my belt as well. I also found a bunch of keys on both body's pocket. I took it just for the sake of convenience. You'll never know if doors here are locked or not.

_"I think that's all from them."_ I stood up and went to the door, trying to hear any footsteps outside. There were none so I stepped outside, ready for my escape.

* * *

I ran across the corridor, which seemed to take forever. I finally reached a 3-way intersection. I peeked at the left side first; a door blocked the path. I then looked to the right; the corridor continued there, branching into another intersection in the distance.

_"What is this, a labyrinth!?"_ I complained to myself.

I went to the door on the left first but unfortunately it was locked. Figures. I took out the keyring I looted earlier and tried them out one by one. One of them suddenly clicked and the door was finally unlocked. I opened it slowly with a loud creak and peeked inside. It was a small circular room with a bunch of trashed cabinets. A faint scent of wine emanated from the room. Was this a wine cellar before? I went inside and closed the door behind me.

My eyes were practically glued at the ladder in the back room, but I searched around the room a little bit for clues regarding my abductors. I found a run-down desk behind one of the cabinets and saw a piece of paper below it. Curious, I picked it up and started reading. It seemed to be a letter, directed to a man named Mr. Olivier Landrieu. I've never heard of that name before, which is understandable since I've only been here for almost 2 days. The rest of the letter was illegible, including the sender. I took my phone out and started taking a picture of it.

_"This better be useful for the police."_

My attention was caught by sounds of rapid footsteps outside the room. _"Shit, did they find out their bodies already?"_ I immediately hid behind a nearby cabinet. The footsteps faded over time, and I took a deep breath.

_"I need to get out of here as fast as possible."_ I walked towards the ladder that leads upwards. _"I just hope this ladder will lead me outside."_ I finally climbed it, waiting for the end to reach.

After climbing for what seemed to be three minutes, I saw a hatch at the top of the stairs. I opened the hatch quietly, peeking the room where it led me to. A bunch of chairs were scattered around but most importantly nobody was in sight. I climbed into the room warily and closed the hatch below me silently. The place was badly illuminated, but my night vision helped me traverse the room. I walked to the only door in the room, trying to open it. Surprise! It was locked. I fumbled with the keys again, trying them one by one but quieter this time as I don't know if there were people outside the room or not.

The door finally gave in and I slid it forward quietly. Thankfully there were no creaking this time. I peeked outside the room and spotted a polar bear stationed at the corner of the corridor, looking away from the direction of the door. The corridor itself had light sources as well, so it may be difficult to sneak up on him. Unless…

_"I guess this is the time to use that tranq gun."_

I took the gun out from my holster and aimed for the bear's neck. I pulled the trigger and the dart went straight onto the target's neck. The bear clutched his neck in surprise, looking at the direction on where the dart originated. He saw me but slumped down before he could do anything. Sighing in relief, I loaded another dart into the gun's chamber.

_"How…how am I doing this? The bear was like ten meters away from me! Is…is that what Nick meant?"_ More questions popped into my mind, but I put them aside for now, focusing on the task at paw.

I walked over to the bear, searching for any usable items. There were three spare tranq darts on his side holster, along with the respective gun, albeit bigger than mine. I left it alone and started searching his pockets. There's a crumpled piece of paper in one pocket and a keycard on the other. I took them both, reading the piece of paper in the process.

_Hey, the boss told me that he wants you to guard the back of the facility for some reason. So you better do it before he gets mad. Me and Joshua are going to our perps later, so I can't do much help for you. See you in a bit!_

_Walter._

_"So…these Walter and Joshua dudes are the guys from back then. I wonder who this 'boss' is…"_ I thought. _"Wait, this is not the time for thinking! I still need to get out of here!"_

I ran past the still-unconscious polar bear further down the corridor. I turned left at the intersection and was greeted by another door. I tried turning the handle and surprisingly it was unlocked. I opened it quietly to peek what's behind. I was greeted by a large area; there were machines scattered all over the place. There were also some set of stairs on the right end of the area, another door which leads into another room, and a big door on the front, which I assume to be the exit. What I didn't expect is a large amount of mammals patrolling the area. It seems getting out from the front exit is impossible, I need to find another way out.

I tiptoed past over the two guards on the right, hiding behind a wall that was on the left of me. I peeked over my shoulder; they haven't noticed me. Good. Now I need to get to the door on my right, but there was someone patrolling the area, so I waited until he was far enough then I quickly ran to the door, opening it and went inside, closing the door behind me quietly. There was nobody at the immediate sight so I took a breather and started exploring the room. It seems like a meeting room of sorts; a large rectangular table was positioned at the center with chairs encircling it. It was very tidy as well, a neat fireplace was located at the far end of the room, with heat emanating from the fire. There was also a door beside the fireplace, which I assumed it leads to a bathroom, I think. But most of all, there were windows that lead outside the building! I immediately sprinted there, trying to open one of it. I struggled on opening it for a bit before revealing the snowy environment outside. I was getting halfway through the window until I heard a sound coming from the door next to the fireplace.

_"Shit, I need to hurry!"_ I rushed off from the window. It was small, but my body could still pass it through with some struggle. I finally was out from the window frame and into the snow. I was free! My celebration was short-lived though as I could hear the door open with footsteps walking towards the windows. I immediately hid behind a tree and peeked to the window. A raccoon in a black suit could be seen, inspecting the now opened window that I should've closed. I quietly took out my phone and shot pictures of him. After a while, he closed it and went further back. I sighed in relief.

_"Okay, now that I'm outside, where the heck should I go?"_ I wondered. _"But I think I should get away from here as far as possible first."_

I spotted a fence in front of me and I started climbing it, landing safely on the other side. I ran towards where the roads were, hoping to come across a passerby that would happen to see me. But there were practically no one there, but I kept running.

* * *

After about ten minutes of running, I found an inn-like building beside the road up ahead. Thanking my lucky stars, I went towards there, hoping to see non-hostile residents. I finally arrived at the inn and then I went inside. There were assortments of mammals in there, which I assume were travelers.

I went to the nearest couch and rested my body on it.

_"That certainly was something. I've never thought of escaping a full-guarded facility successfully, unscathed even. This can't be a coincidence. I can't just shoot a gun and hit the mark perfectly, I've never even used one before! Something strange is happening to me…"_

As I was lost in my sea of thoughts, an arctic fox came up to me.

"Hey, are you okay?" the fox said in concern. I immediately snapped back into reality.

"Ah! Yeah, I'm okay! Sorry, I kinda spaced out." I looked at the fox. He was wearing a light green cardigan and a white shirt inside with gray jeans. He looked like the same age as me.

"But…you look like a mess!" He said, eyeing my clothes in particular. "Are you sure you're okay? I can take you to my house if you want to!"

"Thanks, but I'm fine, really. I had been running from someone that wanted to capture me, so I may appear disheveled to you." I smiled weakly.

"That's awful! Who would do such a thing?" He sat next to me.

"I honestly don't know…" My voice trailed off.

"Hmm…should I call the police?" He proposed.

_"Wait, the police. Nick!_ " The realization suddenly came to me. I'm outside now, so there must be at least radio service here!

"You're absolutely right! I'll call them right away!" I thanked the fox next to me, which seemed to be smiling.

I took out my phone and started calling Nick.

…

…

…

_"Hello?"_

"Nick! It's me, Ken!"

_"Ken!? Thank God you're all right! Where are you now? We've been looking for you all over the city!"_

"I don't know…but there's snow all around here!"

_"Snow…oh, you must be in Tundratown!"_ Nick's relieved voice could be heard on the other end. _"Okay, tell me exactly where you are right now, and I'll come over to get you as soon as possible!"_

"I…actually don't know where I am. Hold on, I'll ask someone." I told Nick.

"Um…sorry if I'm being rude, but can you tell me where we are?" I asked the fox next to me.

"Oh, we're in a local inn called Mile's End. Pretty strange and cheesy, I know."

"Thanks." I raised the phone to my ear again, "Nick, I'm in some kind of inn called Mill's End. Do you know where it is?"

_"Mill's End? You mean that old place? Yeah, I know where it is. Okay, just stay there and don't go anywhere. I'll be there as soon as I can!"_ Nick said, feeling confident in his tone.

"Okay!" I replied, ending the call. I sighed and slumped on the couch I'm on; this day was so tiring.

"So are they coming to get you?" The fox next to me asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for reminding me to call him." I smiled wryly.

"Are you friends with an officer something?"

"You can say that. Two officers to be exact."

"That's neat. It must be nice, huh?" He said, looking up.

"Trust me, staying with them will cause your ears to bleed. They always argue every time they have different opinions!"

"Haha. So who are these officers you made friends with?"

"Hmm…Nick Wilde, and if I'm not mistaken, Judy Hopps."

The fox's expression suddenly changed.

"Wait, you're friends with Officer Hopps!? The one that solved the missing mammal cases and put Mayor Bellwether in jail!? That's so cool!" He said in glee. I've never seen anyone this excited before, and seeing his behavior like this kinda makes me happy.

"Yeah, I remember watching the news about that. I'm not sure what it was all about, though."

"What!? Have you been living under a rock or something?" The fox glared at me.

"No, it's not like that at all. You see, I came from another country…" I explained.

"Oh, I didn't know that…sorry for snapping at you." The fox sat back, looking at the floor.

"Hey, cheer up! It's not like you're supposed to know where I came from, right? Everybody makes mistakes" I cheered him up, patting my paw on his back.

"Heh, thanks." He turned up again. "Okay!" He announced and stood up, startling me a bit. "As of now, you are now officially my friend!" He declared, raising his paw for a pawshake. I blinked, not knowing what to respond to his sudden speech. But I only managed to let out a smile. I then stood up and took his paw.

"My name is Hope Snowbell! Remember this until the day you die!" He introduced himself.

"And my name is Ken Miller." I smiled at him. "Likewise" I introduced back.

We then shook our paws, confirming our friendship.

* * *

**Well, that took longer than I thought it would! So here's another character that's pretty major. I think. I had a lot of fun typing to escape route, it was like making an RPG game! Well anyways, I want to thank you people that had been following this story from the beginning. It really means a lot to me. :) So as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!**


	10. Haven

After our overly-cheesy pawshake, I then waited for Nick to come while casually chatting with Hope. He certainly seems to be an energetic and enthusiastic person. He reminds me a lot of Leina…

"So tell me why you decided to visit Zootopia!" He asked eagerly.

"Uh…" I thought of a right excuse, "My parents got sent to work in Zootopia, so we had no choice but to move here. We just arrived recently as well."

"I see. So how's Zootopia for you so far?"

"It's pretty darn great. Better than my old city, at least…" I smiled at him.

"…oh yeah! I'm going to enroll in Brightwall Academy this year. Since you look like the same age as me, I assume you're seventeen?" Hope asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. I just graduated from eleventh grade last month."

"In that case, let's enroll to Brightwall Academy together!" He exclaimed gleefully.

That…doesn't sound too bad actually, but…

"I…I'm not sure…" I said, lowering my head. "...but I'll think about it."

"Hey, no rush. I understand." He smiled at me.

"…thanks." I raised my head, smiling back.

About half an hour had passed and I could see a police vehicle parking in front of the inn. Rushed footsteps then came running inside the inn. I could see a fox in a police suit frantically looking around the inn with a worried expression. It was Nick. I waved my paw at him and he finally noticed, running towards me.

"Ken! Thank goodness you're all right!" Nick hugged me tightly. I was surprised at his sudden emotions; usually he would always tease someone or making sarcastic remarks, but this time it felt different. It was pure joy.

"H-hey…not too tight…"

"I know…but I'm just so happy you're okay." He squeezed me more but finally released me after a minute or so of hugging. Nick took me to a more private place, leaving Hope behind. I made a 'be right back' sign on my paws to him. He made an 'okay' sign back, and then I followed Nick from behind.

"Where's Judy?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, Carrots? She was busy doing some other things the Chief asked her to." Nick replied. "So…how did you escape from them?"

"I…honestly don't know. Something inside of me kept telling me to get out of there, so I decided to look for a way to escape that facility. And here I am."

"Facility? You were taken to a facility?"

"Yeah, at least that was my mind told me. The building seemed very big, and there even was an underground section of it!"

"I see. Did you take anything from there that might help us find the culprit?"

"I did take these gears with me." I said, showing the taser and the tranq gun underneath my shirt. Nick visibly gasped.

"Did you…managed to use them on someone?"

"Well…I did tranq a polar bear." I smiled sheepishly. Nick could be seen facepalming.

"Anyways, you can take them off now since it'll do nothing useful for you at this point."

"Okay." I took off both gears out of my belt, handing them to Nick.

"Alright. So I assume that's all?"

"I also took some pictures of a letter I found on my way out and some more of a highly suspicious person." I said, showing the pictures I shot to Nick.

Nick narrowed his eyebrows in question before turning his head to the phone. "Okay, let's see…" Nick started inspecting the images. "The letter's kinda unreadable, don't you think?" He finally showed his smirk. I only rolled my eyes.

"Look at the bottom left."

"Hmm…?" Nick's gaze wavered down, and a slight surprise could be seen from him. "Heh, I haven't seen this name in a long time. Olivier, huh?" He muttered.

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"Yeah, we've been in a part of a business once in the past before I became a cop. I never thought I would see him, or at least his name like this."

"What kind of business…?"

"Let's just say it was borderline illegal. But that was in the past." He smiled.

"Okay…is this raccoon that Olivier guy?" I swiped my phone, showing the pictures of the raccoon to Nick. He visibly gasped again.

"…yep. That's definitely him. He still hasn't changed one bit."

"Then…are you going to arrest him? Come to think of it, why did you apprehend those guys yesterday anyway? What exactly were they doing?"

I saw Nick biting his lips. "Night Howlers." He mumbled.

"Night…Howlers? If I recall correctly, the mayor who got jailed were using them for turning predators into savages, right? What about them?"

"I don't know where they obtained those Night Howlers, but…they were definitely smuggling them."

I tilted my head a bit. "Wait, I thought you and Judy destroyed all traces of the Night Howlers. How come they were smuggling it then?"

"They must've produced a new set of them. But for what…?" Nick's voice trailed off, thinking of something.

"Well whatever it is, they should definitely be arrested!"

"You're right. As much as it pains me to arrest an old friend, I can't let someone get past the law. I've promised Judy." He said, clutching his chest. "So where is this facility you were taken to?"

"It's not too far from here. It's in an isolated location, though, so it might be quite tough to find it. I didn't really pay much attention to the way either, but I'll guide you the best I can!"

"Heh, you're full of fire kiddo." He said, rubbing my head. "Okay, I'll go back to the car for radioing Clawhauser back at the station. You stay here, I'll be right back." Nick left the inn, heading for his car. I went back to Hope who had been waiting for me while looking at his phone.

"I'm back. Sorry if that took so long." I sit next to him.

"No worries! You were practically speaking to a cop, so I don't mind at all!" He said, smiling as always.

"Thanks." I smiled back at him. We didn't speak for a while, but Hope broke the silence.

"He really cares for you, huh?"

"H-huh!?" I was taken aback. "I-I guess…" I paused, not knowing what to say. "I've only known him for a couple of days, along with Judy. I was surprised at his concern at me, though, I've never seen anybody do that to me, aside from my old friend."

"I see…" Hope said. "So…where do you live?" He changed the subject again.

"I…I'm currently living with that officer. At least until I got another place to settle in."

"So you're not living with your parents?"

"That's, uh…" I struggled to find the right words without making me suspicious.

"…I understand. Let's talk about something else." He cut me out.

"No, that's okay. I wasn't exactly close with my parents, and I've always lived by myself in my old city. "

"Oh…but still, should you be telling me something this personal?"

"Heh, we're friends, right?" I winked at him. He laughed afterward.

* * *

After a while, Nick came back into the inn. He walked towards me with a happy expression.

"So how was it?" I asked him.

"Pretty good. They'll send some forces here." He smiled.

"That's great then!"

"Yeah, but it won't be easy apprehending them. We should stay vigilant at all times."

"I see. So are we gonna go?" I asked him.

"Yes. I'll be waiting in the car outside. You say goodbye to your new friend here." He looked to Hope with a smirk on his face. Then he walked away and exited the inn.

"He's a charismatic person, isn't he?" He commented.

"Pretty much." I scratched my head. "Well, I better go." I stood up.

"Wait." He stood up as well. "Let's trade out phone numbers!"

"Good idea." I smiled, taking my phone. We then synced our numbers to each other.

"Okay then." We both put our phones back. "Nice knowing you Ken. Goodbye!" He waved at me as I walked to the door. I waved back, saying goodbye as well. I left the inn and strolled to the only police car in the parking lot. I went inside the back seat and was greeted with Nick and a wolf wearing a ZPD shirt. Or is that a sweater? Either way, it was nice to see another officer.

"Hey there. The name's Wolford." He introduced, reaching his paw at me.

"I'm Ken." I took his paw, making a pawshake.

"So Ken. I hope you'll guide us correctly. We don't want to end up in some lost forest, do we?" Nick said, still smirking.

"Err…I'll try…?"

Nick left the parking lot and drove towards my point of directions. After the fifth turn or so, I finally saw the building.

"There it is!" I said, pointing to the building to the right behind a thick wall of snow.

"Well, I'll be darned. There really is an abandoned facility here." Nick remarked in surprise. "Looks pretty well guarded, though."

"Duh. There're at least twenty mammals in there." I told him.

"Yep, harder than I thought." He mumbled to himself.

"We should wait for the others to come." The wolf said.

"Of course, we don't want to dive in headfirst there without backup, do we?"

So we waited for Nick's reinforcements to come. After a rough ten minutes or so, I could see a bunch of cars coming behind us, and…two choppers!? This is insane, I thought this would be a normal apprehension. But better be prepared than sorry, right? Nick picked up the radio and told the other officers to advance towards the facility. Nick started driving as well. And so we arrived at the place, with police cars surrounding it. There was almost no way of escaping the police armada. This is gonna get interesting.

I wonder what will happen next…

* * *

**Well, the site was being a dick again and didn't show the story on the fiction list. Anyways, this update is pretty short, but it's nearing the end of the first arc! I'm really excited! So as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	11. Aftermath

_"Hey, you ok there? Have the cops caught the bad guys yet?"_

_"They sure have. I was even credited at news too lmao."_

_"Lol, really? Damn, I wish I could be as popular as you are."_

_"I don't think popular is the right word tbh. Only my name was mentioned and not actually my face."_

_"Still, to be mentioned on a news channel. That's pretty impressive!"_

_"Maybe. It's only been a day but the news has spread like crazy!"_

_"Hehe, my friend's a little celebrity now. Oh, my mom's calling. Ttyl!"_

_"K, see ya."_ I put my phone away.

A day had passed since the imprisonment of the Night Howler's smuggling group yesterday. Me, Nick, and the officers that were in Tundratown capturing them got credited greatly. The arrestment was in no way easy. They were using force as a retaliation and many of the officers got injured. But thankfully nobody was killed during their attack. The leader of the group, Olivier Landrieu, was the one who planned all their smuggling, using a machine designed to extract the essence of _midnicampum holichitias_ , a type of toxic flower that if consumed, it will turn them into a savage for at least a day. But if the flowers were processed into a concentrated mixture, it will strengthen the effects, making an animal become savage in an indeterminate amount of time. But the officers managed to secure them with the help of their air force. The people who got involved in the smuggling got thrown in jail, waiting for their fate at the court. I never thought I would uncover a smuggling ring, let alone finding their base of operations and successfully escaping from there! It was truly an unforgettable experience I had from this world. We went back to the precinct shortly after our triumph.

I was very tired at that point, but the adrenaline in my body kept me from sleeping. I just kept talking with Nick and Officer Wolford on the way back. We then went to see the Chief after arriving. I originally refused, though, saying that I wasn't prepared to meet him. But Nick heavily insisted, saying that it's okay, so I gave up went with him. I was very nervous and anxious when we got into the Chief's quarters, a mix of both actually. I've never been face-to-face with a high-leveled person before so standing there with the Chief of the ZPD made my heart tremble. He told us to take a seat in front of his desk, which we promptly did so. He was the one who spoke first, telling me that he was proud to have a brave Zootopian citizen like me. I was flattered, sure, but I technically wasn't a Zootopian. I mean, I came from another world and all, but that was beside the point.

The Chief was actually a fairly nice guy, albeit rough on the edges, but I think that's how he was supposed to be a Chief of a police force. We discussed the smugglers for a while before we bid him goodbye and left his office. My mind couldn't keep up at that point, but I just followed Nick from behind. We arrived at a block of offices of sorts, with Judy seated in one of them. We walked towards her, greetings ourselves with Nick doing his usual banters. Judy expressed her concern at me, but I told her that I was fine. My body was aching everywhere, so I told them I needed sleep. Judy said I could rest at her apartment for the day, so I accepted her offer. It's better than nothing. They finally drove me over to Judy's apartment, and I immediately went inside the apartment. I followed Judy from behind, occasionally seeing other mammals stroll by, but my mind was blank back then, I needed sleep, and that was the only thing I thought. We finally arrived at her room and went inside. Her room was a bit smaller than Nick's. She said to use the airbed on her closet while telling Nick to pump it for me. Did everybody have airbeds on their closets? Not that I was complaining, but still. Nick finished pumping the bed and I fell right onto it, embracing my slumber. The last thing I heard was the door closing.

I felt invigorated the next day. Judy took me and Nick to Misty's café. And so here I am, chatting with my distant friend over my phone.

"Hey, don't you go spacing out again!" Judy snapped me back to reality.

"Ah, sorry, I was thinking of something…something that I should talk about with you guys."

"And that something is…?" Nick's eyebrows raised.

"I think…I think I'm going to attend Brightwall Academy."

* * *

After our little breakfast at Misty's Cafe earlier, we went to the precinct again. You know, cops doing cop things. We chatted along the way to the precinct.

"Are you sure Ken? Shouldn't you wait for a few days to settle here before you make a major decision like that?" Judy asked while driving.

"I agree with Carrots here. It's not even a week yet! Worst case scenario is that you'll get bullied until you decide it's not worth going anymore." Nick added.

"I've made up my mind. If I'm going to live here forever, then I have to at least get proper education about this world."

Nick and Judy both looked at each other briefly before nodding and turning back.

"If that's what you want, then alright. Just know that I support you one hundred percent, so if you need help with anything, just come to me. Or Nick here." I could see her smiling with a warmth of kindness.

"...thanks." I muttered out the words I so badly wanted to let out. I can't thank them enough for what they had done for me.

"That's grand and all, but you're still technically not a citizen of Zootopia."

"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it." Judy smirked.

"Oh dear..." Nick mumbled. I could only giggle at them.

We arrived at the station shortly after. I stayed in the waiting room while Judy and Nick went somewhere inside the building. I greeted Clawhauser who was still looking extravagant on the front desk as well.

_"Is this really okay for me? Am I doing the right choice?"_ I thought. _"No, I'm sure. I've made up my mind, didn't I?"_ My gaze trailed upwards. _"I need to cut all my ties with my old world. This is my life now, and thinking about the past won't help me whatsoever. I need to change. And that change starts now."_ I clenched my fists, accepting my new life. My Perseverance was getting bigger by the second. All I know is that I'm going to do fine in this world. I had 3 friends already, and that will certainly help me in the long run.

My daydreaming was cut off by a sudden rumble in my pocket. It was my phone, signaling an incoming message. I figured it was from Hope, so I took my phone and read it. Yep, it was from him.

_"Hey, Ken! You wanna hang out today?"_

" _Sorry, I'm a little busy right now. Maybe tomorrow?"_

_"I see. Sure, let's do it tomorrow!"_

_"Okay. See you then."_

_"Laters!"_

I put my phone away. _"Good ol' Hope. Always the optimistic type. Reminds me a lot of...no, don't go there. Pull it together, Ken!"_ I shook my head.

After a bunch of self-encouragement, I decided to take a breather. So I went outside the place to get some fresh air. Unbeknownst to me I was already wandering around the city, getting fascinated by the various city structures. I went to the nearest library and began reading some history books there. So apparently the city is divided into multiple sections. Where I currently am was Savanna Central. The snowing town from yesterday was Tundratown. There were also other sections that I've never visited, like the Rainforest District and Sahara Square.

I also learned that some predators eat fish here. I didn't know that. I should've, though, as I've probably eaten a lot of blueberries here. And 'a lot' is an understatement. Ah, the things I could've learn. I closed the book and put it back on the shelf. The library was surprisingly crowded too. But I never saw another fox among them. Are foxes that rare? Or…

No use thinking about it. I left the library and went on my way. I checked the time on my phone; it was currently 2 PM. Why did time fly so fast anyway? I shrugged and strolled back into the precinct. I was staring at my phone on the way back when I accidentally ran into with someone, which resulted in me tumbling back. I picked up my phone and went to apologize to the person who I ran into, but my lips immediately sealed and I stepped back. It was a wolf. I knew it was stupid to label all wolves as the same, but my first introductory to a wolf in here wasn't that grand either. Before I knew what was happening, my feet were already running opposite from the wolf. Thank God I held my urge to scream, it would create a useless scene if I did. My legs took me to the nearest alley and I hid there in frenzy. I panted like there's no tomorrow but I tried to calm myself down. I was almost hyperventilating but thankfully I calmed myself down before that happened.

After my sudden outburst faded, I peeked through the corner of the alley to see if there were still people there. There were none, and the wolf was nowhere in sight either. I sighed and walked like normal. After what it seemed like years I finally arrived at the precinct. I could see Judy and Nick from the windows, and…yeah, they didn't look happy. I went inside, catching their attentions.

"Ken! Where have you been!? I thought you were kidnapped or something!" Judy ran towards me.

"You're over exaggerating. Anyways, I was thinking that I could use some fresh air, so I went outside. But I ended up walking to the library for no reason. Sorry if I made you worry." I explained.

"Did you cause a scene or something? You look pretty exhausted there!" Nick asked jokingly. Well…

"…maybe?" I smiled sheepishly.

"Okay, come clean now." Nick interrogated me further, still smirking.

"I…may have caused a wolf to remember me as a crazy person."

"…what?" Both of them exchanged glances at each other before turning to me with a confused expression.

"Well…when I was on my back here, I accidentally stumbled into a wolf at the street."

"And…?"

"And I may have run from him like I was running for my life."

"Sweet cheese and crackers." Judy facepalmed.

"You sure know how to greet a person!" Nick burst out laughing.

Needless to say, it was an embarrassing experience. So apparently they got another patrol duty and I volunteered to go along with them since Nick's room was trashed yesterday and I couldn't stay it his room anymore. Wait, where DID Nick sleep last night?

"Hey, where did you sleep last night, Nick?"

"That's a good question. A question that Carrots can answer." He smirked at Judy.

"Always tease the bunny." Judy rolled her eyes, "So we went to ask a compensation from Nick's landlady. Thankfully she was pretty friendly, so we had ourselves a deal. Nick could stay next to his old room." Judy explained.

"Nice. Did you bring them cookies afterward?" I asked with a smirk.

"Ken, stop. You're not Nick." Judy sighed. Me and Nick just laughed subsequently.

"Anyways." Judy interrupted our little laugh, "On a more serious note, though, I don't think five hundred dollars isn't gonna cut it. This is Brightwall we're talking about. Not to mention we need to spend extra for a place of your own. Not to discourage you or anything, but it seems we need more money on our paws."

"Is that so…?" I said quietly, "Can we go to the nearest ATM? I want to see if mine works here or not…"

"Don't tell me there's more money in your account." Nick gasped.

"Maybe. I honestly haven't checked since last month. That's not the main problem, though."

"Let's just hope for the best." Judy said, driving us to a bank. "It's that way." She pointed to a direction.

"Okay, I'll be right back." I said and left the car. I strolled to the ATM and went inside the small room.

Ignoring the facedown picture, I took out my pocket and picked the only ATM card there. I inserted it into the slot and picked a bunch of choices to see my account balance. I had…five hundred bucks. _Another five hundred bucks._ Admittedly, it's not as high as I predicted it to be because I assumed my parents had been topping up my account before…my death.

No use thinking about this.

I quickly withdrew only a hundred just to test if it actually works or not.

…

I was taken by surprise at the amount of money chugging out from the money. It had somehow worked! I don't know if it's just by pure chance or luck but I'm not complaining. I proceeded to withdraw the rest of the money from my account and put them all inside my wallet happily. I left the room and headed back inside the car.

"Welcome back. How did it go?" Judy asked casually.

"I don't know about you Carrots, but I already know the answer just by seeing his expression." Nick smirked at us. I only giggled.

"You know it! And guess how much money I had back there!" I said gleefully.

"A thousand? I dunno, humor me." The teasing continued.

"It's just another five hundred bucks."

Their faces lit up.

"Goodness gracious, that's a lot!" Judy exclaimed in amazement. "There'd even be some left for you!"

"You sounded unhappy for some reason…"

"But…I still don't have any identifications of myself here."

"And that's where we are going now!" Judy floored the pedal, launching the car forward.

"Wait, now!?" Nick asked her in a panic while clinging to his seat at the sudden force.

"Of course! We don't have anything to do either at the moment, so why not help Ken?" Judy smirked.

"Fine, whatever." Nick shrugged.

So finally we arrived at a huge building, which I assume was the City Hall. I mean, what other building could it be other than that?

"C'mon! Let's go!" Judy said, leaving the car. I left the car, as well as Nick.

I stood at the majestic building that was in front of me in awe, before following them inside. The interior was…spacious. And by spacious I mean there are lots of spaces that were left unused. Not sure if it was an artistic sense or they just didn't have enough objects to place. I saw a lot of people queuing into a counter at the far side. Oh no, not queues! Unfortunately, there was no other way even for policemen, and for this case, policewomen than to queue as well. Thankfully the customers had little things to attend so they were fast on queuing. Or maybe the person in the counter was fast on their paws. Who cares, we're moving! After about ten people or so leaving, we're finally at the front line.

"Hello. What can I do for you today?" A female antelope greeted us warmly.

"Good day, Jane!" Judy greeted her. So they knew each other? Huh.

"Oh, hey Judy! What brings you here?" She asked as she looked looking below to see Judy.

"Well my friend here wants to make an identification card!" Judy tugged me closer, "His name's Ken. Can you make one for him?"

"Of course! That's what I do, anyways!" She said proudly. "Follow me, Ken!" she closed her office's blind and left it, going deeper into the building. Me and Judy followed her from behind. We ended up being in another office, but with people in it. The antelope sat behind a desk and she told us to sit in front of her. We did so and then she started asking me a flurry of questions, one after another. Well, that's normal I guess. I WAS making an identification card, so that made sense.

After a bunch of truth and lies, she finally finished asking. We stood up and went back to the front office. We were then told to wait until they finished making the card. After an hour or so, they finally informed us that my card was finished. We went to the office again and took my card and a bunch of other papers regarding my identity. This will surely help me attend Brightwall Academy! We said our goodbyes and left the building, going back into the car again.

"Wow, that was fast." Nick remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah…sorry for the wait, hehe." Was Judy blushing? No way.

"It went pretty well!" I added.

"Great. Now can we please go somewhere? I'm starving here." Nick groaned.

"Don't worry, I was planning to take us to eat anyways." Judy smiled and took off.

"I'm sorry for asking this out of the blue, but do you guys eat fish?" I spoke up a while after.

"Well we prey don't, but I don't know about Nick." Judy answered, looking at Nick.

"I honestly don't like fishes that much. I'd eat grasshoppers instead."

"I'll take that as a yes." I ended the topic quickly, "Do you know any place that serves fish?"

"I don't, but Nick might."

"Well, I know this one place. Are you sure you wanna eat fish though?"

"Yeah. I need them proteins, man." I answered confidently.

"Suit yourself." He smirked, "Okay, I'll show you the way Carrots."

I swear Nick was messing with us somehow. No way that took an hour drive. Not that it mattered since we've finally arrived at the place.

I ate some grilled salmon with Nick ordering a fried snapper and Judy eating a house salad. And holy crap that was good. The juiciness of the salmon melted in my mouth, combined with an excellent _jus_ to complement it.

After that overly divine experience, we went back into the car.

"So where are we going next?" I asked.

"Let's look for an apartment for you." Judy replied.

"Why don't he stay at my apartment?" Nick proposed. We turned to him, our eyebrows raised.

"I mean, he could stay like next to my room. That'll be safe, right?" Nick added.

"Hmm…that's not bad at all." Judy thought. "Okay, let's go to the apartment then!" Judy started driving to our destination.

After half an hour we finally arrived at Nick's apartment. We went to see the landlady to check if there was an available room for me. Fortunately, there was only one room left but it was on the 6th floor. I saw no problem with it so I took the room. Finally, I have a place of my own to stay! The landlady handed me the keys and we all went to my new room. It was the same as Nick's previous room; I loved it already.

"Getting comfy?" Nick asked smugly.

"Definitely!" I replied in glee.

"Good. You're stuck here for the rest of your life, you know." Nick smirked.

"So as you." I smirked back.

"Clever." He replied.

"As much as I want to see you guys bicker, we have to do patrol again. So let's go, Nick." Judy cut our conversation, "I'll see you later tonight Ken." She smiled and left my room.

"You heard the boss. I'll better get going." Nick said, preparing to leave the room.

"Wait, Nick." I intercepted him. He turned back to me.

"What is it?"

"When we were at inn…did you...did you really care for me that much?"

Nick's face went blank and then he walked up to me.

"Ken…I know we just met, but I found something in you that I'll never find anywhere. Let's just say…it's a brotherly instinct, you know? So I've decided I'd protect you the best I could."

"But…why?"

"It's complicated, okay?"

"I...see…"

"Well…I better get going or else Carrots is gonna punch me in the gut. See you later."

Nick went out of the room, leaving me alone in silence. I was taken aback at his answer, I never thought he would feel that way towards me. But…it somehow makes me happy. I went to the door and closed it. Come to think of it, I never had a shower since yesterday, did I? I needed to take one right away.

* * *

After one relaxing shower and reusing the clothes since I didn't have any spares, I went to see my phone. The first thing I noticed was a message from Hope. I unlocked my phone straight away and saw the rest of the message's contents.

_"Hey, have you decided yet?"_

_"About what?"_

_"You know! Enrolling in Brightwall Academy!"_

_"Oh, that. Yeah, I'm going to register there tomorrow. :)"_

_"Sweet! I'll see you when school starts, then!"_

_"Yeah, I can't wait! Let's just hope I'll fit in there xD"_

_"It'll be fine, trust me! I'll show you around once we meet up, okay?"_

_"Heh, okay. I'm counting on you!"_

_"Leave it to me! I'll be your prince in shining armor!"_

_"Please don't use that analogy."_

_"Hehe, sorry. Well I'll talk to you tomorrow again. Bye!"_

_"*sigh* bye."_

We ended our conversation. Well, so much for energetic. I threw myself into my bed and started thinking about my future life. What job will I take after I graduated? A chef? An accountant? A cop? Either way, I was so excited. Excited for the future.

After I contemplated about myself, I went to turn the TV on. The first channel I thought was the news channel. As I thought, they were still showing the recent events. Something about Olivier Landrieu denying any claims on the Night Howlers smuggling. Honestly, I had enough of these people so I changed it to another channel. Then my usual nighttime ensued.

After an hour or so I turned the volume down checked the time on my phone. 8 PM. They should be returning by now. At least that's what I thought. I opened the door to my balcony to sniff some of that fresh air. I then observed the nightlife of the city. Lots of lights were strewn about at almost every building, making the city like a big Christmas tree if seen from afar. There were still a lot of traffic as well for this hour, as well as pedestrians on the streets. The city was still bustling overall. I went back to my room and closed the door behind me, walking back to the bed.

_"They sure are taking their time. Heh, who am I to complain, I'm not a frickin' cop."_ I thought to myself, shrugging.

Just after I finished saying that, someone knocked on the door.

_"Well speak of the devil."_

I strolled to the door and opened it, revealing a pair of familiar faces.

"Hey! Sorry we took so long, Nick had to take care of things back at the station." Judy said, walking into my room. She was carrying a bag as well. Blueberries again?

"Carrots…wait up…I'm…gonna die…"

I turned to see the voice and it was Nick, panting his ass off.

"Whoa, Nick! What happened!?"

"I…just need a breather…one sec…" Nick kept puffing at my door. Don't tell me he ran all the way here from the station…

"Judy, explain." I demanded.

"We just made a simple bet. And I won fair and square."

"And that bet would be?"

"Nothing unusual. He betted it first, actually."

"Okay, whatever." I sighed.

"Anyways, I brought you more blueberries. And some clothes for you to change!"

"Oh, thanks!" I took the bag from Judy.

"Now that's done, I think I'll better go. See you tomorrow Ken, Nick!" Judy ran out of my room, leaving me and Nick.

"So…I guess I'll go back to my room now. Good night." Nick said, leaving me as well.

"Night." I replied back, closing the door.

I grabbed the clothes out of the bag along with the blueberries which was inside another bag. I put the clothes in my closet and the blueberries on the kitchen counter. I was still full from that meal earlier anyways.

I removed my scarf and hung it on a nearby chair, ready for sleep. I closed the curtains to the balcony and turned the lights off before climbing into my bed, reaching my slumber.

* * *

A distant knock from the door woke me up from my sleep. I rubbed my eyes and checked the time on my phone. 9 AM. Damn, I was asleep for a while. I got up from my bed and went to the door to see who was knocking. It was Nick.

"Morning sleepyhead." Nick teased.

"Morning…" I yawned.

"Judy said to hurry up and get ready."

"Where are we going…?" I said with my eyes still half closed.

"Where else than Brightwall Academy?" My face lit up as soon as I heard his last word and I immediately went to the bathroom.

"Okay, wait outside! And close the door!" I yelled from inside my bathroom and I could hear the door close outside.

I showered as fast as I could and then dried myself off. I went to the closet to check the clothes Judy had brought yesterday. It was a simple white t-shirt and brown trousers. I wore them immediately and wore my scarf as well. I took my phone and went to open the door.

"Okay, I'm ready!"

"Great. Let's go." Nick walked off. I followed him from behind until we arrived at Judy's cruiser.

"Morning! Are you ready Ken?" Judy greeted me from inside the car.

"Yep! Pretty much born ready." I said and went into the car's trunk, only to see Nick stopped moving.

"Nick? What's wrong?"

"Ah! Oh, nothing! Let's go!" Nick replied in a hurry and immediately went inside the car. What was that? Shrugging that off, I went into the car as well.

"So where exactly is Brightwall Academy?" I asked.

"You've been talking about it but you don't know where it is?"

"…pretty much."

I could see Judy facepalming. Well, I don't blame her.

"The academy is on the other side of town. You need to take a bus to get there from your apartment." Judy started driving.

"I see."

We chatted along the way but Nick kept being silent most of the time. Thinking he might just have something in his mind, I brushed it off. After thirty minutes or so we finally arrived at said academy.

The structure…was insane. It was almost double the size of the Town Hall I just saw yesterday, and that was big enough to be called huge. But this…this was enormous. Of course, they said don't judge a book by it covers. What it really matters was the inside; the system.

So we left the car and started walking towards the building. Only a few students could be seen, mostly because it was school break. We came across a large fountain in the middle of the school grounds. People were sitting beside it, reading books or were simply enjoying the scenery. We finally went inside the building.

The interior was similar to those high ranking school in my old world. Very similar. We wandered around the inside of the school, trying to find the faculty office. It was on the right wing, apparently, besides the library. We went inside the office and was met by approximately 5 teachers there. We walked towards the person who handled registrations and greeted him. He was a panda who seemed to be kind enough. His name was Mr. Garry Crawford. We exchanged questions for a while and he finally registered me as a student of Brightwall Academy! Hurray!

We thanked the kind bear before leaving the room.

"Okay, now that you're officially a student of the academy, let's buy you some new clothes and school supplies!" Judy proposed.

"Yeah!" I agreed

We went back inside the vehicle and drove towards the nearest supermarket. Nick was still quiet, though. Did something happen?

We walked inside the supermarket except for Nick who had chosen to stay at the car and bought everything I needed; ranging from clothes, food, stationeries, and a bunch of other stuff. I was really happy that my money was enough to buy these things. We went back to the car again.

"Did you get everything you need?" Nick spoke up, surprising me.

"Yep! And I still have a three hundred bucks!" I smiled at him.

"That's good. Don't forget to buy me some pawpsicles with those." Nick smirked. I still don't know what pawpsicles were. Eh, I'll know it sooner or later.

"…right. Thanks for accompanying me in the supermarket Judy. I was almost gotten lost there."

"Don't mention it! Alright, I'm gonna drive you back to your apartment now. We still have some tasks that we need to do at the station." Judy started driving.

"Ah, okay." I replied.

* * *

"Bye!" I waved at Judy and Nick.

"Goodbye! Call us if you need anything!" They waved back, driving off into the distance

I strolled inside the apartment carrying the stuff I bought and went straight into the elevator and into my room. I settled all the things in their respective places and I fell into my bed, exhausted. I took out my phone to see if Hope had messaged me. Surprising he hadn't since this morning, and it's already 1 PM. I brought up the messaging app and started texting him.

_"Hope! Guess who got into the academy!"_

_"Omg, really!? Nice!"_

_"Yep! I'll see you in two weeks, I guess."_

_"We could even meet up earlier than that! Look, I'm trying to find an apartment in Savanna Central, but almost all of them are full. There are a few places I haven't checked, so I'll do that tomorrow!"_

_"Ah, you're moving here? That's cool!"_

_"Yeah, I figured it'd be more of a hassle to take the train from Tundratown to there, so I decided to move in Savanna Central instead!"_

_"I see. Well I hope you find your apartment soon!"_

_"Thanks. Well, I'll see you then. Laters!"_

_"Kay."_

I closed the messaging app, slumping down onto the bed. I only needed to wait two more weeks until school started. I could practically hear my heartbeats beating, I was in so much pressure. But it was countered with my overwhelming perseverance, so everything's gonna be okay, right? And so I waited. Waiting for the promised day.

* * *

**Okay! This is the end of the first arc! And oh my God, over 5000 words! I've never written so many words before, not even on any of my school assignments! Expect _Many_ typos, as I have just finished this at midnight _._ I'll proofread this chapter tomorrow. So the next chapter will be featuring Leina, don't worry. And a lot of other things that I'll come up with. Hopefully. Anyways, as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	12. Mire

Two weeks had passed since Ken's unfortunate death. I had a very hard time coping with his death, but over time my sorrow had diminished and we were going in our lives as usual as if nothing had ever happened.

I was mostly changed by his death. I wasn't that talkative anymore and I rarely hung out with my friends at school. I mostly stayed at home, thinking about what my actions had done to me. To Ken. I had a hard time catching up at school too, I wasn't that focused anymore. 12th grade had already started as well, so I needed to study harder. But with everything that happened, I don't think I can be focused enough. Still, I needed to do the best I could.

So it was my typical Monday morning. I woke up, showered, get dressed, ate breakfast, and so on. I went to the bus stop gloomily, waiting for the school bus to come. I made a personal schedule on Mondays, which was visiting Ken's grave after school, so deep down I was kinda excited. Not the best word to say when visiting someone else's grave, but that's what I felt. The bus finally arrived and I went inside. I chose an empty seat at the back of the vehicle, mostly because I didn't feel like talking to anybody.

The bus arrived at school and students poured out from the bus. I went last, well, because of similar reasons. The bell rung, signaling that class had started. I hurried inside while going into my appropriate class. Our homeroom started almost immediately after the teacher went inside the class. I glanced to my left where Ken's desk was. It was replaced by a transfer student by the name of Wesley Bright. He had moved to this class for only a week and so far, he had been pretty silent. I didn't know what his problem was so I never bothered him.

After class ended the bell also rang, signaling that it was lunchtime. I went to the cafeteria along with the other students. Some students preferred to stay in the class, though, having their own lunch. I lined up towards the row of students inside the cafeteria while holding a tray in my hands. I finally got my food and proceeded to find an empty spot. There was one at the back of the room, so I went there and seated. I was staring at my tray for a while before someone came up to me.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" a timid voice called. I looked up to see who was calling. It was a boy wearing a red tee with a turquoise jacket tied around his waist paired with dark gray trousers.

"No, I don't mind at all!" I replied hastily.

"Thanks…" He sat down opposite of me and started to stare at his food as well.

"You…are Wesley, right? The transfer student?" I asked.

"Yes. And you must be the close friend of the late Ken Miller. Leina Streisand, isn't it?"

"Heh, news sure spread quickly here, huh?" I chuckled.

"It seems so." He giggled back.

"How have you been lately? Losing a close friend must've been hard on you." He asked.

"I'm slowly getting over it, thanks for asking. Can't dwell on the past all the time, you know?" I forced a smile.

"Haha, you're quite the strong one. I wish I could be strong as you are…" His face turned sad all of sudden.

"…what happened?" I slipped the question out of my mouth.

"Well, I've been under heavy stress from my parents lately. Their demands for my grades are just absurd, but I don't have any choice than to study harder and that has been putting me on the edge. I simply want them to accept me for who I'll become. I also almost considered committing suicide as a solution, but thank goodness I never continued to think about that." He said. I could almost see his tears, but he quickly brushed it off. But whoa, suicide? That's too far…

"Anyways, sorry for dragging you on my mindless backstory. We've never even met before." He smiled sadly.

"That's alright, I don't mind." I smiled back.

We ate our meals and went back to class after the bell rang, signaling that lunchtime was over. The rest of the period went pretty normal like usual. Finally, the last bell rang, signaling that school time was over. I packed up my things and left the class, heading for the school's entrance.

"Leina, wait up!" A voice behind me yelled. I turned my head to see Wesley running towards me. "Are you going home?"

"No, not really. I have to go somewhere first." I replied.

"Can I tag along? I don't have anything to do at the moment, so I figured going with you will be a good time waster!" He said cheerfully. I paused for a bit, slightly raising my eyebrows.

"Are you sure? I'm not exactly going to a place where people would normally go."

"That's fine! I don't mind." He smiled.

I sighed, "Okay. Follow me." I walked off with Wesley following close behind. I went to the bus stop right outside the school and waited for the bus to come. After a while of awkward silence and stares, the bus finally came and we went inside, sitting in an empty spot.

"So where are you going exactly?" He asked.

"I'm going to the cemetery." I replied flatly.

"Wait, wha-" He cut off his sentence and looked straight at the ground. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were visiting him today…" He hid his face.

"That's alright. I knew this was going to happen anyway, so let's just go along with it." I smiled.

He sighed and slowly lifted his head. We chatted for a while until the bus stopped at the bus stop near the cemetery. We left the vehicle and went straight to the graveyard. The place was empty like most of the time; not a single soul in sight. Well, aside from us. We finally reached Ken's grave at one section of the yard.

"Hey, Ken. I'm back again." I smiled sadly. Wesley only stood next to me, face filled with sadness as well.

"I wish I could turn back time, to see you again. But I guess…good things must come to an end either way, huh?" I felt tears coming out from my eyes.

"Leina…" Wesley's voice called out from behind. He then hugged me. I could feel my tears bursting out. Before I knew, I was already crying.

I really never accepted Ken's death. He was my only best friend, and then he died…because of me. Because of my carelessness. I blamed myself all the time after his death. I wasn't sure if I should continue living anymore. But I knew that Ken wouldn't like that, so I kept on living. I kept my most precious memories of us together deep inside my mind, ready to face the future without him.

"Thanks…I'm fine now." I said, wiping the tears off my face. "I'm sure Ken won't like it if I continue to cry. I need to put my past aside."

"But deep down you're a softie, aren't you?" Wesley teased me, making me smile.

"As if!" I poked his shoulder, laughing. I picked a nearby flower from the ground and went to put it on Ken's grave.

"I see you have overcome your past. Congratulations."

A voice that I've never heard before spoke from our behind and we immediately turned around. A middle-aged man wearing an all-black overalls stood there. Honestly, if this was a horror movie, I would run my ass off from him.

"W-who are you!?" I said, staggering back from his sudden appearance combined with his freaky attire.

"Don't worry. I'm just a passerby who just happened to meet you two here." He explained in a dark tone.

"I see…sorry for freaking out." I apologized to him warily. I glanced briefly to Wesley; his face was full of suspicion to the man. I don't blame him, this dude just appeared out of nowhere, wearing an unusual clothing, and muttered strange words at us! I'd call that freaky.

"So why did you come here? This isn't exactly the place where people would normally stroll by." Wesley started interrogating the man.

"I'm an acquaintance of Mr. Miller, I just came here to pay him a little visit." He said, walking forward towards Ken's grave. Did Ken really know this person? If so, then why?

"Just know this." The man started to speak, "Ken is doing okay in a faraway place, so…" The man turned to me, "Leina, don't you worry about him anymore."

_What? How did he know where Ken is? I thought Ken…_

"What do you mean? Did you meet Ken somewhere? Please take me to him if you do!" I started pleading with him. I know it was stupid, but I would do anything to meet Ken again. Anything.

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that. It's just not possible."

"Please! I just want to meet him one more time! I will do anything! Please…" I slumped down, crying.

"Don't you have anything better to do!? Does seeing others crying makes you feel better about your life!?" I raised my head to see who had yelled; it was Wesley. He was standing in front of me with an angered expression and tears rolling down on his face. Wesley had stood up for me. I was happy, and I was also sad at the same time. I thought I could meet Ken again, but just like the man said, it was downright impossible.

The man stared at us with an unchanged expression for a while before sighing and muttering something inaudible. He then turned to us again.

"Well, there is a way, but…"

Our faces suddenly lit up.

"But what?" Wesley asked.

"But I'm strongly against it. It's very dangerous to do so, as it has disastrous effects if performed incorrectly." The man explained.

"If performed incorrectly…? What the heck are you talking about!?" Wesley asked further.

The man sighed before continuing, "You can find the details in here." The man produced a brown envelope from his suit. I stood up, wiped my tears and walked towards the man.

"Leina, what are you doing!?" Wesley shouted from behind my back, but I didn't reply.

"Is there really a way to see him again?" I asked him weakly.

"Yes, there is a way. But as I said before, it is really dangerous to do so. Do you still want to take the risk?"

"Yes! I'll do anything!"

"Then here you go." The man handed the envelope to me. "Just remember, I won't be responsible for anything that you've caused."

"Thank you!" I thanked the man. He only kept silent and walked away from us towards the exit of the cemetery.

"Leina, are you sure?" Wesley walked up to me asking.

"Yes. If there's a way to meet with Ken, even if it only has a minimum success, then I will gladly take the risk." I said solemnly. "I'm okay now, thanks for accompanying me here today. I really appreciate it." I smiled to Wesley, who had just been standing there in silence. I took out my phone to see the time as it was already getting dark. 6 PM.

"It's getting late, let's go home." I said, walking towards the exit.

"Leina." Wesley called. I stopped and looked behind.

"What is it?"

"I'll come with you."

"Wait, what? This is my problem; you don't have to involve yourself further."

"No, I can't just simply let you go like that. Who knows what will happen if you do whatever it is in the envelope alone? The guy practically said it's perilous! Besides, we're friends, right?" Wesley smiled, reaching his hand at me.

"Wesley..." I paused, looking at him. Why would you go so far like this for me? We just met earlier! But…he's right. "Okay!" I took his hand, smiling back.

"Now that's the spirit!" He laughed.

We then headed outside the cemetery and went back to the bus stop.

"So where are we going to 'perform' it?"

"Let's meet up at the local café. There are people there, so if something does happen, there will be people helping us."

"Good idea. So 7 PM?"

"Sure. Make sure to bring supplies! Who knows what will happen there." I winked at him.

"Haha, yeah. My house is actually not far from here, so I think I'll just walk. Bye!" He ran towards his home, waving.

"See you later!" I waved back.

* * *

I showered immediately after I got home. I packed all the essential things I could bring in my bag; food, clothes, money, and some other stuff. My bag became heavy, but it was bearable. I told my parents I was going to a friend's house for a sleepover and thankfully they bought my excuse. I left my house and went straight to the bus stop. I checked my phone; 6:45 PM was shown there. Good, there was still time. The bus came and I went inside. I messaged Wesley to check if he was ready yet, but he didn't respond. Maybe he was still packing his stuff, I dunno.

The bus finally stopped near the café and I got out from it, heading into the café. The café was pretty crowded like usual so it was a little hard to find an empty spot for me to sit. Thankfully one of the customers was going to leave so I immediately went to their place, securing a spot for me and Wesley later.

Five minutes after I ordered a latte finally came Wesley running inside the café. I caught his attention and he ran towards me with a bulky bag behind him.

"Sorry I took so long! I needed to visit the store first." He smiled, sitting across from me. "So have you opened the envelope yet?"

"No, I was planning to do it here with you." I replied, taking out the envelope from my bag.

"This is so nerve-wracking! Open it up already!" He said anxiously. I took out the contents of the envelope. There was a piece of paper with some words written on it and a…piece of paper that shaped like a doll.

"What the heck is this?" I mumbled.

"Lemme see it." He took the paper doll from me. I sighed and picked the paper, reading it.

_Steps on how to do the ritual:_

_1\. Grab the paper doll anywhere you want, and hold it tight. Now think where you want to be, as this is crucial for locating the place you will go._  
2\. While holding it, chant these words for every participant and for the doll itself:  
"Other worlds, we bring you ourselves. Hear us, we beg of you."  
After all people have chanted, tear the doll and save the scrap somewhere safe, those will be your lifeline. Make sure to chant them correctly, or else there will be severe consequences.  
3\. If you wish to go back, just bring your paper scraps and put them with the others, while chanting the same incantations as before.

"Whoa, wait a second. A ritual? Are you serious?" Wesley asked questioningly.

"That's what the paper said." I replied. "So basically we hold onto the paper doll, chant some words correctly, and then tear it apart while thinking that we want to be with Ken." I explained.

"Still, all of these are freaky though. Will these even work?"

"Only one way to find out." I winked. "I'll grab the head and you'll grab the legs, okay?"

"Okay…" He sighed.

I grabbed the doll by the head and he grabbed it by the legs. "Make sure to think and chant correctly!"

We began chanting.

_Other worlds, we bring you ourselves. Hear us, we beg of you.  
Other worlds, we bring you ourselves. Hear us, we beg of you.  
Other worlds, we bring you ourselves. Hear us, we beg of you._

And then we tore the paper doll apart.

...

"Nothing…happened?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well so much for scary rituals." Wesley saved his scrap in his wallet and I promptly did so too.

"So…what's supposed to happen exactly?" He asked.

"I don't know; the paper didn't explain anything after step three." I replied, still reading the paper for further clues.

"And here I thought there would be something magical." He sighed, "I'm gonna get some..." His voice trailed off.

"Hmm?" I look up from the paper.

All the people were gone.

And as if to accompany it, an earthquake suddenly roared, rocking the place back and forth.

"Whoa! What's happening!?" He asked frantically.

"I think it's an earthquake! Let's get out of here!"

We left our table but before we can even think of what was happening, the quake shook harder and suddenly there were fissures on the floor.

"Wesley, watch out!" I tried to take his hand, but it was too late. The fissure already took him. I stumbled back in horror but was met with another fissure.

_"N-No!"_

The last thing I saw was me falling into the bottomless abyss below.

* * *

**Well…that went dark pretty fast. See if you can catch the reference in this chapter! Anyways, as always. I'll see you in the chapter. Good night!**


	13. Reunited

"Wesley!" I jolted awake, screaming out for his name.

I frantically looked around and realized that I wasn't in the café anymore. Everything was…green. There were grass and bushes everywhere. What the heck happened that time? People suddenly disappeared and there was an earthquake, and we got…swallowed by it. I clenched my head in confusion, trying to make sense of what had happened. But I was drawing blanks so I decided to put them aside and try to focus on the current situation.

"Wesley? Where are you!?" I shouted, getting up on my feet. I took my bag on the ground and placed it on my back.

"Ugh…my head…" A voice could be heard from behind. I turned back and saw something lying on the meadow and I immediately ran towards it.

"Wesley! Are you all…right…?" My voice trailed off and my steps went to a halt. What I saw in front of me wasn't a human. But it was a raccoon, wearing the same clothes as Wesley's and had the same length as him!

"Leina…?" The raccoon got up and grabbed his head. "Where are we? Wasn't there an earthquake and…" He looked around before locking his gaze with mine. He took a step back, looking terrified.

"What the hell!? Who- no, _what_ are you!?" He pointed his finger at me accusingly. I was as confused as he was.

"That's my line! Where's Wesley? And what did you him!?" I countered.

"How did you know name!? And I swear if you land a hand on Leina, I'll…I'll…!"

_Wait, what? How is his name Wesley? And he was mentioning me as if I were someone else as well. What in the actual hell is happening? Unless…_

"Wait, Wesley! It's me, Leina!" I tried to calm him down.

"…Leina? But how? And why do you like a wolf!? Is this some sort of a joke?"

_That confirms one thing. But still…is Ken really in this place?_

"I'm as confused as for why you're looking like a raccoon yourself."

"Wait, what!?" He began inspecting himself.

"I have a better idea." I took out my phone and opened the camera app, taking a photo of him. "Here, take a look." I walked up to him, showing the picture. His jaw visibly dropped, his eyes beamed of surprise.

"No way…" He said in disbelief. He began to try removing parts of his 'animal features' but just as I thought, we had been turned into humanoid-like animals and it was all for naught. And I think he was in pain after doing so too.

"We really did get transferred into another world…I thought all that ritual was a farce, but after witnessing this…anything could happen, I suppose."

"Still, this is beyond absurd! Do you even know how you look like right now?"

"Err…not really…."

"Well then let me show you!" He snatched my phone and took a picture of me. "See? Normal people would freak out if they see you like this!" He returned my phone back, showing the image.

Sure enough, there was a grey-furred wolf in the picture that was wearing the exact same clothes as mine. Its build was similar to mine as well.

"I don't feel any different, though."

"But…ugh" He finally sighed in defeat. "Okay then, what should we do now?"

"Well, we probably should get out of this place first. Pick up your bag and let's go." I said, pointing to the gate which I assumed was the exit.

"Alright." He went to get his bag and wore it on his back. We then went to said gate.

"Well this is an odd looking gate. Why would someone plaster something over it?" He asked.

"How should I know?" I shook my head. I opened the gate with a loud creak, revealing a dirt pathway with grass fields beside it.

"Looks normal enough to me." I said jokingly. He only shrugged.

We trekked along the pathway, searching for some kind of civilization in the midst of nature surrounding us.

"Hey, I could see something over there!" Wesley announced, pointing at the distance.

"You're right! Let's hurry!" We quickened our pace, hoping to see the thing that lies ahead.

The thing finally appeared on the horizon. The thing we saw was actually a skyscraper, standing in the middle of a big city. Apparently we were on the outskirts of the city.

"Whoa! I never thought to see a city this big!"

"Me neither. Let's check it out!" I said, running towards the city.

The city began to show its appearance slowly as we took more steps towards it, finally revealing it. We stared at it in amazement, seeing how full of activity the city was. That's not the only thing we were amazed of, the city's inhabitants were populated by anthropomorphic animals!

"This is all so bizarre…" I said in astonishment.

"It's just like in the movies where animals can talk and stuff!"

"Yeah…I'm still surprised there was a whole other world like this, though." I said before realizing something important. "Wait, Wesley, do you still have your paper scrap?"

"Yeah, I think I saved it in my wallet." He began to check his wallet. "Yep, it's here."

I checked my wallet as well and saw the paper scrap there. I sighed in relief. "Okay, whatever you do, don't lose your scrap. I think it's our only way of getting out of here."

"Okay." He nodded firmly. "But now that we're here, what are we supposed to do now?"

"Hmm…that's a good point. We can't just blindly wander around here either, so…" I rubbed my chin, trying to think of something that could help us find Ken.

"Um, can't you just call him or something?"

"Ah, good idea." I took out my phone, "Lemme just…" My voice cut off short as soon as I saw my contacts were empty. "Wait, what? How the hell…"

"What? What did you see?" He asked curiously.

"My contacts…they're all gone!"

"What!?" He then took out his phone. "…you're right. All my contacts are gone! Even my parents!" He said frantically.

"Dammit, what are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know…" He said quietly. "Let's just explore the city, and maybe we'll cross paths with him."

"But isn't it dangerous to walk around the city without knowing anything?"

"Better than staying here doing nothing, right?"

"…I guess you're right. Okay then, let's go."

We finally continued our pace into the city, trying not to look as suspicious as possible. We walked past many different buildings of shapes and sizes, constantly stopping to take pictures of them. You know, the usual tourist's stuff. We also passed across a city map which we examined to get the idea of where we were. Apparently we were in one of the many sections of the city, which is called the Savanna Central. We took a picture of it to ensure our sense of direction. After what it seemed to be an hour, we finally stopped somewhere, catching our breath.

"Okay, this is definitely not working." I said, sitting on a nearby bench with Wesley. "We need some sort of a destination to go to."

"Okay…" Wesley puffed, then proceeded to take a water bottle out from his bag. Sensing the hint, I took out mine as well and then chugged it. I was never so thirsty in my entire life.

"So…where do you think we should go?" He asked while putting his water bottle away.

I sighed. "I don't know…I've never been in this situation before…" I turned my head upwards, looking at the sky.

"Well don't give up! You have a friend to look for, don't you? Then keep your spirit up and your head held high!" Wesley gave me an encouragement.

"Damn. Nice speech you got there." I remarked in astonishment that slightly teased him, "Well you're right. I can't lose hope. Not after everything that happened."

"Okay!" He stood up, "Since we need a place to go, let's go to the police station first!"

"The police station? That actually doesn't sound too bad! Sure!" I stood up as well, taking out my phone to view the map that I've taken pictures of.

The station wasn't too far; it was only several blocks away from where we were. We readied our belongings and started walking towards the direction of the station, occasionally taking pictures of the city in the way. We passed the last block of apartments and we finally arrived at the station. The building was big, _very_ big.

"According to the map, this is the station." I said, examining the building.

"It sure is, the sign even says Police. No doubt that this is the place." He confirmed.

"Okay, let's go in." We gathered our courage and went inside the building.

The building was full with a variety of animals. There were officers who were a polar bear, a tiger, a lion, and even an elephant! There were many civilians in there as well, which seemed to be doing their own things in different places.

We walked to the front desk and was greeted by a cheetah wearing a police uniform, his nametag showing Clawhauser. He was…how should I say this, overweight? I'm not the one to judge people, but he was definitely overweight in my books. He was staring at his phone the moment we came in, so we tried to catch his attention.

"Oh, sorry! Welcome to the ZPD, how can I help you?" The said in a vibrant tone as he put his phone away.

"We're looking for a person named Ken Miller. Has he been somewhere around here?" I asked the officer.

"Oh, you mean the person who discovered the smuggler's hideout?"

"Yeah…that person." I made a fake smile. I glanced at Wesley and his face was full of confusion. I mean, what the heck, discovering a smugglers hideout? That's…absurd. Still, this was the only lead we got, so we just had to play along.

"If that's the case, then you better ask Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde about it since they were close to this Ken person."

"I see…but do you know where they are?"

"They're in the office on the back. Let me take you to them!"

"Thanks! C'mon Wesley." We followed the Cheetah to the other side of the building.

We arrived at an office block with animals working inside each office. The cheetah brought us to a certain office that has a rabbit seated on it. To the back of the rabbit resided a red fox that was working in an office as well, both wearing police uniforms. So these were the people Ken was close with, huh? I never knew Ken was a sociable person.

"Judy, Nick, these guys have some business with you!" The cheetah called out to them.

"Oh?" They turned to us simultaneously almost perfectly. The cheetah then left us with them.

"Hey there! My name's Judy Hopps, and this here is my partner, Nick Wilde. What can we help you with?" The bunny said enthusiastically. So much energy was coming from her it's almost unnatural. That's a thing to be proud of, I guess.

"Well…we are looking for Ken Miller. That officer told us that you guys are close with him so he brought us to you." I said, effectively catching the fox's attention.

"Why are you looking for him?" The fox replied with an interrogative tone.

"Err, we're friends with him and we kinda want to greet him, you know?" I said, forcing a smile.

"Hmm…" the fox narrowed his eyebrows before smirking, "I see. He's currently in Brightwall Academy at this time."

I looked at the time on my phone: 1 PM was shown there. But onto the bigger problem, why would Ken be in an academy in the first place? I took a quick glance to the fox amongst my thoughts; his face was surprised. Was it my actions? Or was it something else? I followed the trail of his gaze and it led to my phone. I wasn't sure what my phone was doing to him, and I didn't want to know either. He regained his senses as we locked our gaze briefly and he went back to smirking again.

"So where exactly is Brightwall Academy?" I asked, locking my gaze to the fox.

"It's in the other part of town. If you want to meet him, we can take you there if you like." He said. The bunny beside him was surprised, but he told her something that we couldn't hear that had seemed to calm her down.

"You guys would really do that!?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah. We're almost finished with on our assignments anyways, so a little drive wouldn't hurt, right Nick?" She elbowed the fox which he just returned a nod as a reply.

"Thank you so much!" I shook the rabbit's hand. Well, not really hands, but paws.

"You're welcome! That's what we do at the ZPD." She said proudly. I then turned to Wesley, who had been strangely silent the whole time.

"Excuse me, but I need to talk with my friend for a moment." Wesley broke his silent streak.

"No worries! We'll be at the parking lot outside." The rabbit said, bringing her and the fox outside. Wesley then dragged me to the back.

"Hey, quit dragging me!" I let go of his grip, brushing myself off. "Anyways, what do you want to talk about to be this alarmed?"

"I…can you keep your distance from them? I can't seem to trust them enough after seeing that fox's glare on your phone. And aren't foxes typically sly and untrustworthy?" He said in a wary tone.

"But why? They're police officers for heaven's sake. And you can't just generalize foxes like that. Sure, foxes that were illustrated in books on our world were like that, but this time it might be different. Who knows?"

"I know, but… You know what, forget about it. Let's just go." He started walking away towards the exit. I tilted my head confusingly before sighing and followed him.

* * *

We arrived at the parking lot, looked around and spotted a fox waving at us near one of the parked vehicles. We were told to ride on the back of the vehicle since there were only two seats on the front side. Understandable, I guess. Going with a car was much more efficient than walking. Combined with our bulky bags, it would take hours to reach Ken. And I don't think Ken would be there anymore either if we had walked, so thank goodness these kind officers would let us ride in their car. We climbed the trunk and sat on one of the seats. There was a wire mesh splitting the front and back section of the car. Is this section for criminals? Bleugh, I wouldn't think of committing a crime here. It'd suck so badly. The car started driving and we sat in an awkward silence.

"So how long have you known Ken?" The fox broke the tension between us.

"I've known Ken for a very long time. I think I was twelve when I met him. We've been best friends ever since." I replied with a smile.

"Uhuh…how about you?" He turned to Wesley.

"I actually don't know the guy. I'm just tagging along with Leina here, to be honest."

"I see…" The fox turned to the front again. Wesley apparently didn't accept that.

"So how about YOU? How long have you known Ken?" Wesley asked the fox back.

"Well, I think it was two weeks ago. He said, his back still on us, "He apparently fell unconscious after meeting Carrots here and then she took him to a hospital while telling me to keep a watch on him. And that's when I met him."

Two weeks? That's the exact time when Ken was killed! And how the heck did he get brought to a hospital after that!? Goddammit Ken…

"It's not like I made him lost consciousness or anything." The bunny retorted.

"I never said that." The fox replied back, smirking.

"Of course. He was so pale when I encountered him. And as soon as he turned his head somewhere, he passed out." The rabbit explained.

"I-I see…" I said, trying to absorb his explanation. Wesley was looking vigilant the whole time.

"And then we became close ever since. Right Carrots?"

"Yep!"

Their synchronization was so good it's almost unbelievable. It's like they were fated to be partners. It's not like I was to judge, but hey, anything works around here I suppose.

We arrived at our destination in roughly an hour, which was pretty close considering the city's layout.

"Here we are! Brightwall Academy!" The bunny said. We peered out the window to see the academy's structure. It was huge! No, it may be bigger than that. I've never seen an academy this big before in my entire life. How did Ken get here in the first place anyway?

"Thanks for the ride." Wesley said dismissively before leaving the cruiser. Was he still thinking about that fox officer?

"Thanks. We'll be going now, bye!" I waved at them and left the cruiser as well. They then went on their own, driving away into the distance.

"This is so amazing…" Wesley remarked in awe.

"I was going to say the same thing." I giggled.

"Okay, you go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"What? Where are you going?"

"It's not important! C'mon, go find him!" He shoved me forward into the crowd, leaving him behind. I honestly had no idea what he was up to, but I needed to focus on finding Ken. I was quickly overwhelmed at the amount of students pouring out from the building. I stepped to the sides and tried to ask someone on where Ken was, or at least where his class was but to no avail. Gradually the students in the yard decreased until there were only a few people left. I sighed and paced forwards among the few students in the schoolyard.

"Let's just hope he's still in class…" I groaned and walked towards the entrance before crossing paths with two foxes which seemed to be in a conversation. One was wearing a noticeable blue scarf that was oddly familiar.

_Wait, what?_

I turned around to observe the scarf more closely. It was _very similar_ to the scarf which Ken always wore. Is that... Is that Ken!?

"Ken!" I yelled his name before running towards them

I caught their attention and they turned back to me. The red fox next to the arctic fox was slightly startled after seeing my appearance but he calmed down almost immediately.

"W-Who are you?" The fox wearing a scarf asked coldly. Was this really Ken?

"I'm sorry, but can you step away? He apparently doesn't take too kindly to strangers, especially to wolves." The white fox beside him added. I was almost heartbroken. After hearing that.

"But… Ken, don't you recognize me? It's me, Leina!"

"Leina…? No, that can't be… Leina can't be dead… He can't be! You're lying!"

"No Ken, it's really me! I came here for you!"

"Show me proof that you're him! For all I know you could be someone who wants to do bad things to-" He stopped his words after I showed him a picture of me and him together from my wallet. It was taken when Ken bought his first car with me and we took a picture to commemorate it. He immediately cupped his paws on his muzzle and held back his tears.

"Leina!" He launched himself towards me that caught me off guard I almost fell, hugging me in the process. He finally let out his tears to fall. I hugged him tighter, despite others looking at us. But I don't care.

I've finally found Ken.

* * *

**First of all, sorry for the long delay! Something caught me up (*cough*Dead by Daylight*cough*) and I wasn't able to finish this chapter in time. Bromance are a thing, alright!? It's always a thing! (No I don't really think it's a thing.) So anyways, as always, I'll see you in the next chapter. Good night!**


	14. The Case

"Excuse me, but who are you again?" Hope caught Ken's attention amongst his reunion with Leina.

"Right…" Ken wiped his tears, "I never did tell you about him, huh? This is my friend, Leina." Ken smiled. "Leina, this is Hope, who is also my friend."

"Nice to meet you. Thanks for looking over him!" Leina bowed down.

"Nice to meet you too. But don't get too formal with me, I'm not really into that." Hope replied while scratching his head.

"I never thought I would see you again here! But wait, _how_ did you get here?" Ken asked puzzlingly after the sudden realization.

"Well, that's kind of a long story-"

"Leina! They're here!" Someone shouted from behind that cut Leina's sentence off. The three turned to the direction of the voice to see a raccoon running towards them in a frenzy. Behind him was a rabbit and a fox which seemed to be chasing him.

"Wait! Stop!" The rabbit yelled.

"Leina…? Why is that raccoon shouting your name while being chased by Nick and Judy?" Ken asked in confusion.

"That's my friend who followed me here, Wesley. He was a transfer student that was supposed to replace you. As for the latter… I'm not so sure." Leina replied, scratching his head.

"There was someone who replaced me…? How did you even become friends with him? You know what, scratch that. I forgot that you can easily make friends, don't you?"

"Wow, that kinda hurt me inside, haha. It's not like that at all. I have never even conversed with him until today. And after that accident, I… Let's just say I've changed." Leina said sadly with Ken only staring at him in confusion, "But enough sappy talks, how about we deal with this predicament first?"

"Leina…I-"

"I'm sorry, but can we stop for just a damn minute?" Hope interrupted their conversation, "First this wolf came up to us out of nowhere claiming to be Ken's friend and now there's a raccoon running away from the cops? What in the actual hell is happening?"

"I…really don't know either."

"I'll explain everything once we settle this." Leina said firmly.

The raccoon finally reached the three predators as he puffed in exhaustion. The two cops followed suit.

"Carrots…I can't…keep up…with you…" The fox in a police uniform staggered, which seemed to be the most exhausted of the bunch.

"Judy, what's going on? Why did you chase this raccoon?" Ken asked the two cops.

"We caught him spying on us at the front gates! Obviously he was up to no good!" Judy said, pointing to Wesley in suspicion.

"That's because you were stalking us! You said you were going back to wherever you were going to, but I had a funny feeling that you might come back. And you did! So you're the ones who's at fault here. Why did you come back here!?" Wesley countered almost perfectly.

"Hey, calm down. It's probably just a big misunderstanding." Ken said in a reassuring tone.

"But why would you come back here in the first place?" Leina asked indifferently.

"Well, I…err…" Judy stuttered, "Nick can explain!" she shoved Nick forward. He gave a frown to her before sighing.

"We just suspected that you two might do something bad with Ken." Nick explained.

"Why? Didn't we tell you that we're friends with him!?" Wesley retorted.

"Well, yeah, but..." Nick hesitated for a bit, "His phone." Nick pointed at Leina, "His phone was very similar to Ken's. I couldn't help but feel suspicious about it."

"Oh, I never did tell you about it, didn't I?" Leina scratched his head, "Me and Wesley aren't from this place. Specifically, not from this world. We came here in search of Ken." Leina explained with a smile. Suddenly it all made sense for Nick and Judy.

"Ah, I see!" Nick fully comprehended the situation.

"But…how? I thought Ken came here because he died. How did you guys get here then?" Judy rubbed her chin.

"That's what I want to know." Ken repeated Judy's question, looking at Leina.

"Sorry, but can someone enlighten me on what's going on? You guys came from another world? What?" Hope raised his hand.

"I'll explain everything. But let's get to a more secluded place first." Leina gestured. All of them nodded in agreement.

They went to the nearest bench where nobody was nearby. There were still people loitering around in school grounds but it was pretty late so it was a perfect place to talk without no one else hearing. The bench couldn't fit all the people so only Leina and Wesley sat there. The others stood in front of them, waiting to hear their explanation.

"Er…are you sure you guys want to hear it too?" Leina and Wesley looked at the three unfamiliar faces in front of them aside from Ken, "I mean, we only came here for Ken, so it's not like you should be involved any further." Leina said.

"That's true, but we're already involved in Ken's life anyway, so I guess there's no harm in telling us. I'm not sure about you, though." Judy looked at Hope.

"I never told you the truth, did I?" Ken said to Hope, "I was given a second chance of life to live in this world after I died in my old world where Leina and his friend lived. I don't know if you'll believe me, but the proof is right in front of us. I'm sorry I've kept it a secret from you for all this time." Hope's expression seemed distant after Ken's explanation.

"I…see…" Hope said, his face stayed expressionless for a moment before regained its colors, "Why didn't tell me earlier then, huh? You should've trusted me more!" He playfully punched Ken's arm. He only smiled as a return.

"Now that I know your little secret, let's hear these two's explanations next!" He continued, sounding cheerful as ever. Wesley only gave a shrug.

"Alright. It all started after school. I was planning to go to your grave which I always do on Mondays. Of course, Wesley decided to tag along with me after our little introduction at the cafeteria." Leina started explaining. Ken's face lit red after hearing that. "So we arrived at the cemetery, but this is when things get out of place."

"What do you mean? Did the corpses start moving or something?" Nick asked jokingly.

"No. That's absurd." Wesley said flatly.

"What then?" Ken repeated Nick's question.

"Ken, did you ever meet a middle-aged person wearing an all-black attire?" Leina asked him.

"…why would I know someone who dresses like that? No." Ken replied.

"Well, that particular person approached us in the cemetery, claiming to be your acquaintance." Leina continued.

"I'm pretty sure I've kept clear from shady and crazy people in my life. Nope, never met someone like him." Ken denied.

"I thought so. He seemed so out of place that day." Wesley added.

"Things got weirder after that. He told us that you were doing fine in a 'faraway' land. I was desperate on wanting to meet you so I pleaded with that man to take us to you."

"And he obliged?" Ken asked Leina at his explanation.

"He was hesitant at first, but I wasn't giving up. He finally gave us a mean to see you again. Of course, Wesley didn't really agree to do it."

"Well duh, we literally met a frickin' strange person in black in the middle of a cemetery. And he told us there's a way to meet the dead? Uh, yeah, I think I'll choose to go home instead." Wesley argued.

"…anyways, the 'way' he told us was sealed in an envelope. I didn't really know what was inside but just to be safe we decided to see it inside a public place in case of something bad happen. So we waited until nighttime and went to the local café near us."

"What's inside the envelope?" Hope spoke out.

"There was a paper doll and a piece of paper explaining the steps of a ritual." Leina answered.

"Whoa, a ritual!? Talk about creepy…" Judy shuddered.

"And you did that ritual?" Nick asked.

"Naturally, yeah. We followed the instructions which include chanting a sentence three times and ripping the paper doll apart." Leina said, taking his wallet and showing them the paper scrap.

"Okay…what happened after you did it?" Ken further asked.

"Initially nothing happened. But Wesley immediately noticed the absence of people in the café. A huge earthquake quickly followed and we were soon swallowed by it."

"What the hell!? That's crazy! And you guys ended up here as a result?" Ken asked in disbelief.

"We didn't know what was happening. First we were at a café and the next thing we know we were at a garden of some sorts." Wesley added.

"A garden…? Did you see something plastered over the exit gates?" Ken asked more.

"Yeah, there was definitely something plastered over it." Wesley confirmed.

"Okay…" Ken replied nonchalantly.

"Well, that's about the gist of it." Leina concluded.

"Hmm. So what are you going to do next then?" Nick spoke up.

"I…I actually don't know. I was so focused on meeting Ken I forgot about everything else." Leina answered, looking to the ground. A brief silence followed them.

"Well. In the meantime, why don't you stay at my place? We'll think of something there." Ken proposed.

"Sure!" Leina said gleefully.

"Err, what is this 'place' exactly?" Wesley asked doubtingly.

"It's just my apartment." Ken replied, "We'll have to take a bus to get there, so let's get on our feet."

They agreed and went to the front gates of the academy. The place was empty by then so there were fewer people to worry about.

"We'll see you later. Bye!" The fox and the rabbit said their goodbyes and went in their vehicle, driving into the distance. The rest of the group walked to the nearest bus stop.

"Are you going straight home, Hope?" Ken asked the white-furred fox.

"Yeah, I have something to do at home." He replied, "And my apartment is not too far from here either, so I'll just walk. See you tomorrow!" He waved to the three people remaining at the bus stop. They waved back as he started walking the opposite direction.

"He's pretty full of it, huh?" Ken asked, smiling.

"I can see what you mean." Wesley replied, nodding.

The bus came shortly after and they all went inside, sitting in an empty spot in the midst of the various species of mammals inside the bus. They chatted along the way while waiting to arrive at their destination.

"We're here." Ken interrupted their conversation.

"Alright." Leina said, standing up from his seat. The other followed. The bus had stopped prior so they just walked down the bus with a tall building greeting in front of them.

"This is the place. C'mon, let me show you inside!" Ken dragged Leina by the hand into the building, leaving Wesley giggling behind before following them. They rode the elevator to the sixth floor, topping over Nick's floor. The elevator made a 'ding' sound and the door opened, revealing a well-lit hallway from the sun outside. They walked to the nearest door with a number shown on the plate next to it. 601 was engraved on the plate. Ken took out his key and opened the door, revealing a distant yet cozy room, and finally entering it

"Welcome to my makeshift room. Make yourselves at home!" Ken said, closing the door behind him.

"It's not bad. Pretty spacious if you ask me." Wesley said while he was examining the room.

"How much did you rent this apartment? Wait, scratch that, how did you even attend a school here in the first place?" Leina asked, placing his bag on the ground beside the closet.

"Well, apparently I had some money with me all along so I used them to enter that academy and for renting this apartment, as well as the other things I needed." Ken replied casually, sitting in one of the chairs at the kitchen counter.

"There's no way you had that much money, right!?" Wesley gasped in disbelief.

"To put it simply, Ken's parents are rich. So something like these isn't exactly a problem for him." Leina explained.

"I...see. Wow." Wesley replied in astonishment.

"Heh, it's not that much. I'm grateful I can even rent this particular apartment." Ken visibly blushed, "Anyhow, now that we're here, what are you going to do next?"

"Hmm...I guess we can stick around for a while. I'm just so happy I could meet you!" Leina exclaimed in glee.

"Hey, what about our parents? Shouldn't they be worried about our sudden disappearance?" Wesley protested.

"True…but still, I can't just go back like that. Not after meeting Ken here. And even if we do go back, we don't know if we could come here again or not." Leina argued.

Wesley sighed, "If you're okay on staying here for a bit longer, then I guess I am too." He scratched his head. Leina's face lit and hugged the raccoon.

_"Going back, huh? I wish I could…"_ Ken thought to himself, smiling sadly.

* * *

"I can't believe someone from Ken's world would actually come for him." Judy said whilst driving her cruiser to the precinct.

"It was weird looking at that wolf's phone when he first showed it back at the station, I thought I saw that brand somewhere. My mind instantly connected the dots and it made him a suspect. Even though my suspicions were wrong, I knew he had a connection with Ken." The fox wearing his usual black aviators said.

"I just hope the Chief won't be mad at us for abandoning our work." Judy shuddered at the thought.

"Don't worry, we have a perfect explanation for it, don't we?" He smirked.

"Heh, true." She smiled back, flooring the pedal harder.

They arrived at the precinct after passing a few block of houses. They left their vehicle in a hurry and opened the door of the building. An unexpected view surprised them; dozens of officers were frantically running to and fro. The duo gave a puzzled look before going to Clawhauser for details of the current situation.

"Judy, Nick! Thank God you're back, we have a big problem!" The cheetah exclaimed in distress.

"Whoa, calm down big guy." Nick tried to calm him down, "Now tell us about what's happening now."

"Okay, okay…" Clawhauser took a deep breath and exhaled, "Remember the smuggler group from a couple of weeks ago?" He asked Nick with a worried face.

"Them? Did something happen to them?" Nick asked back with a hint of anxiousness on his face.

"Well apparently someone _broke_ them out of jail. There were no indications of internal tampering, so unmistakably it was from an external force that led them out."

Their faces were drained of colors upon hearing his announcement.

"…what!?" Nick yelled in anger, surprising the rabbit and the cheetah.

"N-Nick?" Judy tried to calm him down.

"I'm okay. I just…can't believe it." Nick clutched his forehead, trying to digest what he just heard. "What about the guards?" He regained his composure and asked Clawhauser.

"Thankfully they were only tranquilized. Only minor injuries were sustained from what I heard." Nick gave a sigh of relief after hearing his reply.

"When did this happen?" Judy asked

"Earlier this dawn. We just noticed the absence of guards this morning by one of our patrols."

"How many people were involved in the breakout?" She further questioned him.

"According to the security camera footages…two people."

"What!? How did two people take down an entire worth of prison guards? There must be a mistake." She said in disbelief.

"Trust me, we've watched the footage many times. There's no doubt only two people did it."

"What about the escapists? They can't possibly run from the police in broad daylight, right?" Nick spoke up.

"About that…we are still searching for them, hence the commotion here." The cheetah concluded. "What about you guys? Weren't you supposed to do some work in the office?"

"Er, well…we had some business regarding those guys that came earlier." Judy replied.

"I see. In any case, you should head to the bullpen to see Chief Bogo. I think he has something to inform you guys."

"Alright. Best of luck, Clawhauser!" They waved at the cheetah before going towards the direction of the bullpen.

"You too!" He yelled back.

The walk was filled with an air of nervousness. The two glanced faces with each other frequently but didn't know what to say despite the information that had been given to them. Loads of question squirmed into their minds but they decided to brush it off until they get to the Chief. They found themselves in front of the bullpen door and opened it with a hint of hesitation.

The room was empty, aside from the lone buffalo standing at his podium in front of them room, looking at folders on his hands before noticing the duo entering the room.

"Hopps. Wilde." The Chief greeted them in an indifferent tone. Judy gulped while Nick kept his usual expression before getting closer to him.

"I assume you have a very good reason for abandoning your post, so I'm not going to question it further." He took off his spectacles, "So you've probably known our current situation from the commotion outside?"

"Yes, we've heard it from Clawhauser, sir." She replied.

"I had a hard time believing that only two people were involved in their breakout, though. That's simply impossible unless they're some kind of a crime professional." Nick spoke up.

"I didn't believe it either until I saw the footage. Trust me, those men are _professionals."_ The chief said in an unchanged stern tone. "I'm going to reassign you on another case. You will be joining the others in searching the escaped convicts. You two are one of my best officers, so I'll expect the best from you."

"Sir!" Both of them saluted the Chief.

"You can view the recordings at Clawhauser's place. Other than that, you're both dismissed." The chief walked the other way through the door on the back.

"We have a lot to do, don't we Fluff?" Nick teased her.

"Let's go." Judy tugged him by his tie out of the room, smiling playfully. They went back to Clawhauser again with newfound confidence in their faces.

"I suppose you're here to watch the footage?" Clawhauser asked preemptively.

"Haha, yup!" Judy laughed.

"Alright. Let me just set a few things up…" He tapped a few keys on his keyboard, "…and done!"

"Nice! Let's have a see…" She hurried over to Clawhauser's side. Nick followed slowly behind; he seemed to have something on his mind.

The footage showed an array of views from each camera's perspective, separated by thick lines making it a grid-like size. She observed them intently.

"Here's when they come in." The cheetah pointed.

Sure enough, two heavily cloaked figures appeared on one of the camera's view on the screen. They ran from one corridor to another with great speed, avoiding every stationed guard effectively.

"Who exactly are these guys?" Judy spoke out.

As the footage continued, one of the guards caught sight of them. The one figure signaled to the other to go while he stayed behind, confronting the oncoming threat. The guard who was a hippo reached over his radio. He seemed to be calling for backup and informing the other guards about the intruders. The cloaked figure acted immediately by quickly grabbing his tranq gun on his side and shooting a dart at him. The hippo fell after 4 seconds and the figure quickly ran away to the direction where his partner went.

On another perspective of the camera, a crew of guards rushed across every hall, making perimeters inside every inch of the building. It was looking pretty grim for the intruders but somehow the guards had a hard time locating them. On one screen a figure appeared again, this time alone in a series of cells. It seemed they haven't reunited yet. The figure produced an object which seemed to be a bobby pin and began picking on one of the cell's lock. Judy quickly took notes on their adept capability of outrunning the guards for whatever reason she may have.

On the other hand, one by one the guards fell to the floor by a tranq dart coming from blindside of the cameras and eventually they were all incapacitated. A figure quickly appeared in one of the screens and ran towards where the jail cells are. As soon as he got there, the prisoners were already out of their cells with the other figure waiting for him. A few seconds later they nodded and ran straight into the back of the building. Judy followed their movements closely, watching their every move. They eventually escaped from the back door where a white van was waiting for them. Where did the van come from? Judy shook the thought and continued to watch the footage. There were also cameras outside the building for safety purposes, so Judy thanked her lucky stars for that. The van quickly drove outside the yard into the streets and from that point they were out of sight from the cameras.

Conclusion? They were very skilled. Even Judy wouldn't dare to confront them one on one. Behind her, Nick was watching the entire clip the whole time intently. She turned to Nick, catching him by surprise.

"What do you think?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, don't surprise me like that!" He sighed, "I admit, those guys really know their things. Things aren't looking so well for us…" He gritted his teeth. Judy gave a concerned look to him, but he quickly regained his composure.

"…for now, let's check the traffic cameras. We need some sort of clue on where they went." Nick proposed.

"You just read my mind." Judy grinned.

"You flatter me." He grinned back. Clawhauser just stood there, smiling giggly over the two.

"Alright then. Let's go, Nick. We don't have time to lose!" She said enthusiastically, running towards the direction of the office blocks.

"Catch ya later Benji!" Nick followed her from behind.

"…they're so cute together!" Clawhauser spoke softly.

Arriving at the respective office for traffic cams, they immediately browsed through the list of cameras of each section of town.

"Let's see…Savanna Central…Burgus street…aaaand there!" She clicked the mouse a few times before a video appeared on the screen. "Nick, look at this!"

"Looking." Nick gazed onto the monitor, trying to see the van that had escaped.

The white van indeed was shown on the screen, driving towards a destination that neither of them knows. They alternated between cameras at each intersection the van passed, trying to make sense of where they were going. They eventually passed into a tunnel that headed towards Rainforest District. She switched the camera section and started observing the jam cams on Rainforest District. But nothing greeted her.

"Nick? Do you know any other way that these guys might've gone to?"

"Do I?" He smirked at her, walking closer to the computer. She only rolled her eyes.

He began a series of actions with both the mouse and keyboard which Judy had a hard time catching on to.

"Since they didn't appear at the other end of the tunnel, that leaves us with two other possible exits. Sans one because the probability of them going there is very low. So…" He hovered the cursor at one of the cameras, "They must've come through…here?" His smirk dropped after seeing nothing coming out. "That can't be…unless they're crazy enough to go out of the city!" He quickly clicked the mouse on the last camera. "Are you serious?" He muttered after seeing a white van coming out from the side of the tunnel, into the dirt path beyond it.

"What? What did you see?" Judy rushed to his side.

"No wonder our guys are having trouble finding them. They just went out of the frickin' city!"

"What!?" Judy proceeded to watch the recording to confirm Nick's claim. Her expression faded as she saw the exact same view as Nick's.

"You weren't kidding." She placed her paw on her forehead.

"Gee, thanks for believing me." He rolled his eyes. "Alright, so what are we going to do now?"

"Well the Chief did say to join the others to search for the escaped convicts, so I guess that?"

"You know, why don't we make a little investigation of our own?"

"…I'm all ears."

* * *

"So…uh, what the heck did you guys bring to make your bags look that bulky?" Ken asked the wolf and the raccoon which had been doing nothing but looking at their bags.

"Ask Leina. He was the one who told me to bring all these junk." Wesley snapped at him.

"Hey! To be fair, I said only to bring supplies!" He raised his paws in defense.

"How about you then, huh?" He snarled at him at again.

"I…er…" He looked sideways, "A-anyways! I'm getting hungry, so why don't we grab a bite? Ken! Bring us to the nearest restaurant!" He quickly changed the subject, still looking sideways. Wesley facepalmed while Ken only laughed.

"Let's wait a little longer. We just arrived and you want us to leave again? That's so like you." Ken teased him.

"Fine." Leina sighed, taking his phone and his earphones out. Wesley was eating a snack on the other side.

Ken decided to turn on the TV so he picked up the remote and turned it on, showing the news channel. His heart dropped as soon as he saw that the smuggling ring that he discovered had been broken out of jail, with them still being in large.

"Oh my God…" He clasped his muzzle.

"Huh? Is something happening there?" Wesley noticed Ken's gasping and went to see TV. "…oh, I thought it was something more interesting." He went back to eat his snack.

_"No way…someone had broken them out of jail! And there were only two people doing that? Who would do such a thing…?"_ Thoughts raced through his mind. _"No, calm down. It's not like they'll come for me or anything, right? Let's just…call Nick and ask him."_ He got off his bed and went to the balcony. He took out his phone and began ringing Nick's number.

…

…

_"Hello, Ken? What's up? Make it short because we're swamped on a case right now."_

"Okay, listen. I just saw the news. Is it true that the group we apprehended escaped from prison?" Ken spoke quietly.

_"Shit, it's already on the news? They sure got their crews fast on the scene."_

"Just answer the question."

_"Right. Yeah, someone or two people to be exact had infiltrated the prison earlier this dawn, resulting in the escape of the convicts we captured two weeks ago. That's the only thing we know for now. We're searching for them right now, hence why I said to make this conversation short._

"I see. Just be careful, I have a bad feeling about this…"

_"Don't worry about it. We have Judy on our side! And me."_

Ken sighed, "Alright, I'll call you later." He hung up, looking down the street below.

"They'll be fine. I need to worry about myself more." He chuckled then went back inside.

They were still doing their own things, so Ken was relieved at that for some reason.

"Alright!" He caught the other two's attention.

"Hmm?" Leina took off his earphones, "What is it?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to eat just now? Don't tell me you forgot."

"Oh, yeah. I did say that. Okay then." He stood up and gathered his things. Ken only facepalmed.

"So where exactly are you taking us?" Wesley asked, standing up as well.

"Well…you'll see eventually." Ken smirked.

"…oh boy." Leina murmured.

Ken took a look at his phone; 3 PM. _"What is this feeling…?"_ Ken thought to himself.

"So…let's go?" Wesley gestured.

"…yeah." Ken nodded. They got out of the room with Ken being last to lock the door. The two walked in front of Ken, excited for the food they'll have. But they didn't know the feeling Ken had after watching the event that occurred.

The feeling of dread.

* * *

**I. Am. So. Sorry for the two weeks delay. I was distracted by games and the recent Steam sales the past two weeks and I truly apologize for it. Anyways, here's the chapter you all have been waiting for. And as always, I will see you on the next chapter, good night!**


	15. Investigations

**PART 1**

* * *

Nick had an idea of visiting one of his old friends back in Happytown. He was an intel for Nick back in the old days, so he thought that he might be able to help them track the culprit that had helped the prisoners escape. After a while of discussing with Judy, she finally agreed to accompany him. Better than nothing, she thought. They left their offices and change their clothes to a more casual one for undercover purposes. Once they've done that, they finally rode their cruiser to the aforementioned place. Judy never visited Happytown before so he needed Nick to show her the way. She drove opposite of where Downtown was located, according to Nick's direction. They soon arrived at Lion's Gate, which marks the entry point of the sub-district that is Happytown.

The cruiser parked in front of a run-down building inside a shoddy area of sorts; a really bad place if someone would say. The two cops had scouted there beforehand so they were pretty clear of imminent dangers. Still, it was a really bad place for them to be. Judy still couldn't believe that there was this whole other side of town. It was truly disconcerting for her. They had changed into their normal clothes like Nick told them to do. They also covered any ZPD marks on their cruiser or any suspicious markings in general. Going into a shady place with trails of a police wasn't exactly a good idea, so they were prepared from the start.

"Nick…is this really the place?" She asked the fox with a concerned voice, "I…I don't like this place very much…"

"This is the first time you have ever been here, huh?" He answered while looking at the building in front of them.

"Well obviously. I didn't know this place even existed until now!" She pouted at him.

"Eh, thought so." He shrugged. "Anyways, let's enter this building before we attract any unwanted attention." He said with Judy nodding in agreement.

They left their vehicle and went inside the building while acting normally as they could. Inside they were greeted by a bunch of scruffy-looking animals, which they immediately took a gaze at the duo as they entered, but left them alone to continue on their respective activities. Judy shuddered a bit but Nick kept his usual cool self. They made a beeline to the front desk, not wanting to disrupt the other's activities as it would probably do them more harm than good. A lone female beaver sat across the desk which seemed to be focusing on a computer in front of her. A feature Judy found odd that her face was always frowning.

"Hey, Martha! Long time no see!" Nick made the first move while acting friendly. Nick was always a pro at making conversations, so he knew how to handle situations like this. The beaver slowly lifted her head, making eye contact at Nick.

"Oh. It's you again." She said in a harsh tone, still frowning. "What do you want? If you want to con me then forget it."

"No no no no no, no. I'm not here to 'con' you," he made a gesture with his fingers, "far from it actually. Me and my buddy here just wanted to meet a certain someone. A person named Faye. Is he still around?"

The lady raised her eyebrows a bit that surprised Judy. She finally sighed, "Third floor, room 33." She said, then proceeded to focus on her computer again. The duo briefly looked at each other and nodded.

"Thanks, Martha. I owe you one!" Nick said while going to the staircase to the left of him. He only heard a grunt as a response.

The two climbed the stairs up to the third floor with Judy constantly complaining how there were no elevators there. They finally arrived and started looking for said room.

"Nick!" Judy caught his attention, ushering him to come.

"Nice, you found it." He grinned. "Let's just hope he's here."

_knock knock knock_

No answer.

_knock knock knock_

Still no answer.

_knock knock knock_

They finally heard something shifting inside the room with footsteps slowly getting louder by the second. The door finally unlocked and it swung open, revealing a brown bear in an unkempt appearance. A scent of old canned foods wafted from inside the room, making Judy took a step back. The bear lowered his head to see them as he was very tall.

"Wha-? Nick!? What are you doing here!?" The bear was taken by surprise at the fox's sudden arrival.

"Heya! It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Nick smirked at the bear.

"Hell yeah it has! Come on in!" The bear invited the fox inside, but his gaze soon landed at Judy which had been haplessly staring the whole time. "Who's the rabbit?"

"She's my friend. Come on in Carrots!"

She went inside the room hesitantly, leaving the bear hanging with questions. He eventually shrugged and closed the door and advanced to his new guests that just arrived. The two sat across a dining table with the bear at the opposite side.

"So how you've been doing? Making successful hustles out there?" The bear grinned. Judy couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah…about that, I actually quitted of being a con artist." He said, producing his badge out from his pocket. "I became an officer instead. And she's my partner." He said proudly.

"Officer Judy Hopps, nice to meet you." She smiled. She was prepared for an outburst of sorts but nothing came out from the bear.

"I see. I never thought you would become a cop, of all people. What, hustling isn't good enough for you?" He smiled sadly.

Judy wasn't prepared for this. She thought he was like another one of the crooks, but his demeanor told her otherwise. The bear regained his composure and changed his expression to a more serious one.

"So what do you want? I don't think this is just a 'hello' from you. It's more of a cop business, isn't it?" He said solemnly.

"Bingo. First thing first, do you know a raccoon named Olivier Landrieu?"

"The guy in Tundratown that runs some shady business? Yeah. What about him?"

"Well. In short, we found their base and had apprehended them."

"You what!?" The bear was shocked at the revelation, "This is gotta be some sort of a joke, right?"

"Didn't you watch the news? Like, at all?" Judy asked confusingly. The bear reluctantly gestured around the room, making her realize the hint. "...sorry."

"It's alright, not many people here have outside access from this district. And even if they do, they're not the 'sharing' type, if you know what I mean." He explained.

"I see." Judy nodded.

"Okay, back to the topic," Nick adjusted his tie, "so two weeks had passed and everything was doing handy dandy… Until today."

Faye gulped, "What happened?"

"Someone broke them out of jail. Two people to be precise."

He gasped in his mind, who in their right mind would break a criminal lord out of jail? But Faye immediately realized the bigger picture. "…so why are you telling me this?" He asked in a raspy voice.

"We just want to ask if you know these people." Nick showed the bear an image on his phone. It was a snapshot of the footage earlier, which showed him the two heavily cloaked figures. "Does it ring a bell?"

He stared profoundly at the screen for a while before letting out a sigh. "Nope, I've never seen them before. And the fact that I can barely see them isn't helping either." He said, returning the phone to Nick but stopped mid-way after seeing something that caught his attention at the last second. "Wait, isn't that…" He zoomed the picture in to reveal an exposed part of the figure; it was a badge, or rather an emblem. "I think I've seen this somewhere…but when…?" He struggled to remember the emblem's origin, and then it suddenly hit him. "I'm not sure if this will help you or not, but here's what I remember." He then began telling his encounter.

* * *

It was just another normal day. Faye woke up and went downstairs, meeting his neighbors in the lobby. He was planning to go to the nearest store and he promptly did after seeing the amount of money he had at the time. On the way to the store, he came across two tigers. Being the friendly bear he was, he greeted them warmly. The two felines seemed to be siblings; brothers and sisters. The older brother greeted the bear back with a smile. Faye took attention to an apparent marking on his clothing at the right side of his shoulder which he couldn't describe. It was unnerving to look at so he took his gaze away from it. The sister was silent the whole time but Faye didn't pay much attention to her. The siblings said their goodbyes and parted ways with him. He couldn't help but feel weird with their attires; it seemed so out of place. But he brushed it off thinking they might just be visitors from the city.

He resumed his trek to the store, buying some instant noodles and canned soups. While he was going to pay at the cashier, he noticed the siblings he met earlier were standing across the street, inside an alley. Feeling suspicious, he hurried outside silently and stood behind a wall next to the alley. He adjusted his hearing and focused on what they were talking about.

"I think this place is good enough." The older brother said.

"Can't you just get us somewhere safer than this?" The younger sister said.

"It'll drain my stamina unnecessarily, you know. Besides, don't you have something important to say?"

"If you insist. Okay, I've told you that someone will come here, right? Well now it's getting clearer by the minute. He will be here soon."

"Shit, really? Damn it. We really need to speed up our work then. You told me that a disaster will happen if we don't complete this task, right?"

"Yeah. And I don't know if they'll interfere with us or not. Let's just hope they won't-"

The younger sibling's sentence was cut off by a sound of a can tumbling just outside the alley. Cupping his muzzle, Faye stood still against the wall, trying to calm himself from the can that he accidentally kicked.

"Someone's here. Let's go." The older sibling said before breaking into a sprint out from the alley on the opposite side.

The bear let out a relieved sigh. What had he just heard? It made no sense at all for him. He decided to forget what he has heard since it was making his head hurt. He made back into his apartment and went on his life, as usual, not knowing the horror the future might hold.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. You met the owner of this emblem on your way to the store and suddenly they were talking about some random bullshit?" Nick asked for clarification, clearly with doubts in his eyes.

"That's the gist of it. I still don't understand what they talked about."

"I see." Nick closed his eyes, sighing. "Make sure to write that down, Carrots. Maybe it'll provide us with something useful." He turned to Judy.

"Already did." She grinned smugly with a notepad on her left hand and a carrot-shaped pen on the other.

"Alright. Is that all you have to say, Faye?"

"I think so, yeah. That's all that I heard anyway."

"Okay, thanks for cooperating with us." He said then stood up. Judy did so as well, "We have to go now. If you excuse us, we have a case to solve." He showed his signature smirk while walking to the door. Judy promptly bowed to the bear and followed Nick.

"Take care!" Faye said from behind as they closed the door.

The two cops descended the staircase and headed out of the building then went into their cruiser. They met some hostile faces along the way, but it wasn't enough to stop their determination to catch the perpetrators.

"What do you think Carrots?"

"He's pretty clean aside from these inhabitants."

"No... I mean his claim."

"Oh, right. It's plausible. And if it really is true, then we're one step closer to catching the culprits!"

"Huh." He blinked. "But still, we don't know where these guys are. They could be anywhere outside the city. The least we can do is to follow their last track, but I have little hope of finding them that way."

"Still better than nothing, right?"

"True. Okay then, Rainforest District tunnel it is." He nodded in agreement.

They drove out of the area towards where the van last disappeared. It was a pretty long drive; the sun had almost set but they were determined to catch the culprits. They finally arrived at their destination two hours after. 5 PM was shown on Nick's phone. They went to one of the exit paths in the tunnel, examining any tracks of the van that might have been there.

"Yup. They definitely went through here. I'm not sure where this leads to, though." Nick said as he examined the ground where the tire tracks were.

"I never went through this way either." She added, "I wonder where they went…"

"Only one way to find out." He smirked. They nodded and hopped back into their vehicle and drove towards where the vehicle had gone to.

They drove for quite a while. They didn't have any maps with them so they had no help to navigate through whatsoever. But their prayers were answered by a light at the end of the tunnel. Perking up, Judy floored down the gas pedal in hoping to see the other end of the tunnel. They finally found themselves in the middle of a meadow; grasses were all the eye could see with a sun setting in the distance.

"Well…this is unexpected." Nick stared at the scenery in marvel, his mouth agape.

"Oh, you've never seen anything like this before?" Judy asked, her eyes still on the road.

"No. I've never been outside of town, ever."

Judy giggled, "Well now you know that there are many amazing places besides the city." She smiled.

"Oh really? How did you not know Happytown before, then?" He smirked at her.

"To my defense, it is still IN the city." She argued.

"Excuses, excuses."

"Anyways!" Judy cut off the conversation, "Let's take a lookout for something suspicious. We don't want to miss anything around here."

Nick sighed, "Copy that." Then proceeded to observe the road ahead of him, occasionally checking on his sides.

The darkness was starting to set in. Judy had a hard time adjusting to it but Nick made it in breeze thanks to his night vision. She turned on the headlights so she can get a better view of the road. After what it seemed to be 10 minutes they found a source of light in the distance.

"Hey, is that another town?" Judy spoke out.

"Probably. Let's check it out, maybe someone there will give something to help us find the culprits."

"Alright. It's getting pretty late as well, so I think we may have to stay there for the night."

"Good idea. Let's just hope they're friendly towards outsiders…"

With that in mind, they continued their journey. The source of light was getting bigger and brighter, eventually revealing a town. It was far different from Zootopia, the buildings were much smaller, it wasn't as futuristic, and it seemed like it's a countryside town. It reminded Judy of her hometown, the Bunnyburrow. The car drove into the town; they were happy to see normal people for a time. Thankfully the traffic was fewer there, which makes it easier for them to maneuver inside the town. They looked for any traces of the white van around, but they, unfortunately, found none.

"Hmm… Are they even in this town?" Judy asked.

"Who knows? They could be anywhere outside the city." He sneered.

"Not helping." She grunted, frowning.

"It wasn't supposed to." He smirked, "Anyways, let's get a hotel or something. Then we can plan everything from there. Maybe gather more information."

She sighed. "Alright. But let's not go crazy over the foods. I didn't bring that much money to begin with."

"Don't worry." His smug intensified. Judy only shuddered as a result.

They searched around the town for quite a bit before stopping at a hotel. It seemed good enough to accommodate them. The sun was no longer in sight, it was replaced by the moon and accompanied by stars scattered in the sky. They hopped off of their vehicle and observed the building; a large sign was placed in front of the building that reads 'Wayfarer's Respite'. Judy facepalmed at it while Nick lets out a small chuckle. Never in their life have they seen a name as cheesy as this.

"Well. There goes my impression. Let's go inside." Judy said in a flat tone while walking towards the door. Nick followed close behind. He couldn't help but feel in peace there. Something about another town's charm, he assumed. The residents were using slightly older technology than the big city, but that actually made him at ease.

They entered the hotel and immediately noticed the cozy interior inside. Decorations were placed neatly on every part of the building, making it feel more comfortable. There weren't a lot of visitors at the time in the lobby, so Judy assumed they must've been in their rooms. They walked towards the front office, meeting an antelope who was stationed there. The doe greeted them warmly with a smile; it seemed so natural, far different from the city.

"Welcome to the Wayfarer's Respite. How can I help you?"

"I'd like to rent a room for the night." Judy said.

"Of course." She replied, handing out a form.

Judy quickly filled the form and took out her wallet, she grabbed some money proportional amount to the form which she just filled and handed them back to the attendant. She nodded and took a card from her desk, swiping it on a machine. She wrote something on a paper and gave it to Judy along with the card.

"Your room number is written on the paper. Have a nice evening!"

"Thank you!" Judy smiled before walking towards where the elevators were. Nick only nodded at the doe and followed her. They waited for the elevator to arrive before going in.

"So what room are we staying at?" Nick asked her after she pushed the elevator's button.

"Fourth floor, room 410. Thank goodness we changed our clothes before even getting into this mess."

"We didn't bring any spares, though." He smirked.

"I wonder what are we gonna do." She smirked back.

A 'ding!' sound interrupted their conversation and they hurried outside of the elevator. They scouted around the hallways that branched to opposites directions for their room and found it at the other end of the hallway to the right. Judy took the card and swiped it at the mechanism beside the door, which resulted in its opening. The inside was larger than they thought. They walked towards the two beds which were placed beside a bedside table.

"Wow, This room is better than my apartment." Judy remarked.

"I can see that." Nick sat down on one of the beds.

"So what should we do now?" She asked, sitting on the other bed opposite of him.

"We could ask around town, but it's getting rather late. We could also ask the local police, but I don't want to get someone involved any further."

"You're right. So what CAN we do?"

A moment of silence ensued as Judy threw that question. They were left hanging with unanswered questions which Judy was not used to, looking from Judy's rapidly thumping foot.

"Why don't we get something to eat first? We can't think clearly on an empty stomach." Nick suggested.

He was right, they haven't eaten since their meeting with Ken's friends. They were so focused on the job that they had forgotten to eat.

"Now that you mention it, I really haven't eaten for a while. Okay then, let's go somewhere to eat!"

"You're the boss." He grinned. "We can even gather information while we're at it."

They gathered their belongings and left their room, heading outside the building through the lobby. They went into their cruiser and drove off with the town lights and moonlight illuminating the immediate area. Nick looked at his phone; 8 PM was shown there.

 _"I wonder how things will turn out..."_ Nick thought to himself while facing the window. 

 

**PART 2**

* * *

I can't believe Leina would ever come here for me. The time we met at the academy…it seemed so surreal. I was so dumbfounded that I forgot to appreciate the fact that he would risk his life in finding me. That made me so happy afterward.

After we left my apartment to get some food I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread hanging over me. The chills were getting all over my body. I wasn't very certain, but I felt like something bad will happen. But of course, with that all being said, I only kept it at the back of my mind. There were better things to look for than some uncertainty.

We exited the apartment building and walked towards where me, Nick and Judy usually eat. Salmons are great, sure, but nothing will ever beat the taste of a fresh blueberry pie. I don't know if my new fox instincts are getting used to blueberries or if the blueberries here are just too good.

"Where's the place?" Leina spoke out behind me.

"We're almost there." I replied without turning back.

We finally reached our destination, which is, of course, Misty's Café. Their meals are simply too good for me to pass on. We entered the building and was greeted once again by the smell of coffee and fresh pastries.

"Here we are, Misty's Café!"

"Whoa…the smell is amazing…!"w Leina remarked.

"No kidding. It makes me even hungrier than before." Wesley added.

"Let's go see what's on the menu!" I said while walking towards the shelf where the foods were showcased. "I'll have two slices of blueberry pie. What about you guys?"

"Hmm…" Leina stared intently at the shelf, "I think I'll go with the cheesecake."

"I'll have the same as Leina." Wesley followed.

"So two slices of blueberry pie and cheesecake?" The lioness repeated our orders.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"It'll be sixteen dollars." She tapped the register swiftly. I took out my money of proportional amount and gave it to her. "Thanks. We'll bring it shortly."

We found ourselves a seat near the window sides and waited for our meals to come.

"So Ken…" Leina caught my attention.

"Hmm?"

"How…how exactly did you get your life back?"

Well. Talk about awkward.

"Er…how do I explain this…?"

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. I understand."

"No, it's fine." I took a deep breath, "After I lost my consciousness when you went into your house, I found myself in a strange place. It was like I was on top of a circular pedestal. There wasn't anything there aside from a door at one side of it while everything else is covered in darkness."

"Whoa, that's freaky. And you entered it then got sent here?" Wesley spoke up.

"Close. I began to hear a voice in my head, telling me if I wish to live, then I should enter the door. had my doubts, of course. I tried to ask who the voice was."

"Did he answer?"

"...yeah. He said...that he was-"

My chest began to pound rapidly before I could even say the word. I clenched my chest and started to breathe spastically. What's happening to me!?

"Ken! What's going on!?" Leina rushed to my side.

"I'm okay..." I gasped in something I don't even know, "I... Just need a moment..." I broke off to the bathroom. What the heck is happening?

Once inside the bathroom I immediately turned on the sink and washed my face.

_"Calm down Ken...calm down..."_

I took a deep breath then exhaled. So that just happened. My chest feels fine again as well. I looked at the mirror in front of me; a red fox wearing his trusty blue scarf. I sighed.

_"It happened before I spoke the name Death… I think…I should refrain from mentioning them… Still, it can't be a coincidence…can it?"_

After taking a quick glance at my reflection I finally left the bathroom and went back to my friends. The first thing I saw was Leina's strikingly worried face. I smiled as convincingly as possible, trying to make an 'I'm ok' sign. It didn't quite work that well...

"So? Tell me what happened." He asked in a persuasive tone. Wesley only shrugged at the back.

"Uh, it's nothing, really. I just needed to take a breather." I tried to explain.

"It didn't look like it was nothing." Wesley added from the back. Goddammit Wesley.

"I swear it's nothing! Don't worry about it." I tried to convince them.

"If you say so..."

Just as on cue, our meals came shortly after we finished that conversation. The smell of the pie wafted through my nose, creating a blissful sensation. The lion waiter bowed before going back to the counter behind.

"Let's forget that ever happened and just eat." I said nonchalantly.

We ate our meals in silence. None of us didn't have the nerve to break the atmosphere. I don't blame them either, my sudden outburst earlier already made it more awkward.

"Are you happy living here?" Leina asked me out of the blue.

"Huh? Of course I'm happy. Why do you ask?"

"Well… I was thinking…of bringing you back to our world." Leina said blankly leaving Wesley in a confused state.

I was left in silence after hearing that. My mind seems to conflict with it, but the answer's pretty obvious, right? There's no way Leina could bring me to earth again.

"Don't be silly. I'm already dead. There's no way I could go back again."

"That's true, but… What if we reverse ritual with you as a participant?"

"Leina!" Wesley shouted from the side. Thankfully there were no customers at that time.

"I know…sorry." He sighed. "I was being selfish. I thought I could bring Ken back to our world once we get here, but… That's simply impossible, huh?" He smiled sadly.

"Leina… Don't be sad. As I said before, I'm happy living here. I have friends here as well, so even if you eventually leave, I won't be lonely here." I smiled back, trying to cheer him up.

"…you're right." His face lit up, "I won't have worry about a thing, right Ken?"

"Not a thing." I grinned. We made a fist bump before continuing to eat our meals.

* * *

We left the café after thanking Misty. The sky was already dark with stars glimmering overhead. I took out my phone on instinct and looked at the time. 6:30 PM. How the heck did we spend 3 and a half hours inside a café? I guess time flies without we even knowing.

"Hey, you wanna walk around the city before returning to my apartment?" I proposed.

"Sure. We have time to spend anyway." Leina agreed.

"Do you even know the way around here? I have a map snapped on my phone in case we get lost." Wesley said, making me flustered a little.

"O-of course I know!" I said, secretly opening the Maps app on my phone. This was my first time opening this app while living here, so the number streets and landmarks quickly overwhelmed me. Currently, we're at Herd St. and my apartment is located on Troop St. which is just a bit to the southwest. I immediately panned over to the ZPD building and noticed that it's near Acacia St. and Baobab Blvd on the south. I figured I'd visit the ZPD, so I started walking towards the way the map showed me.

"Follow me, I'll take you somewhere cool!"

"Where exactly?" The two started following me.

"You'll see!" I giggled happily. Wesley only returned a sigh while Leina chuckled back. Good to see he's back to his usual self again.

We went through the route shown on the map, occasionally sightseeing some stores and interesting places here and there. Zootopia truly is a beautiful city. There's just so much to look at, and we haven't seen the rest of the city yet! While I only saw a part of Tundratown, I definitely think there's more to it than just some criminal's nest. I don't want to be kidnapped again, though... That reminds me, I wonder how Nick and Judy are doing? I haven't contacted them for a while either. Maybe after our walk.

With that being said, we finally arrived at our destination.

"Here we are! Pretty amazing, huh?" I said, glancing at the huge building in front of me adorned with lights, making it more eye-catching.

"The police station? But we already came here this morning. I thought it was going to be something more interesting." Wesley groaned.

"You did…? Well, you should've told me earlier before we came here."

"How could I tell you when you won't even tell where we were going?"

"That's enough." Leina cut off our argument, "Since we're already here, let's go inside. Maybe we'll meet that duo again."

Good idea. Maybe they've returned from their job. I nodded and proceeded into the building. The usual cheetah was the first thing we saw among the other mammals inside. The interior felt kinda empty at this time, which was pretty reasonable.

"Hey there Clawhauser!" I greeted the cheetah who was eating a donut while watching something on his phone, effectively catching his attention.

"Hello again Ken!" He finished his donut, "Oh you guys are from earlier! I see that you've found Ken."

"Yeah. Thanks for the help back then." Leina gave an embarrassed laugh.

"So what brings you here tonight?" He asked with his usual exuberant smile.

"We were just sightseeing places as my friends here just came to Zootopia. We happened to be close by the station so we decided to check it out, only to hear that they've already been here before." I sighed, with the other three chuckling over my story. "Anyways, is Judy and Nick around?"

"No, they haven't returned from their investigation yet."

"Really? It's getting pretty late; shouldn't they be getting back by now?"

"Those two are always unpredictable with their way of working. I don't know when they'll come back; maybe later, maybe midnight, or maybe even tomorrow."

"I…see." I forced a smile over his explanation. "Well, I think that's all I want to ask. Thanks for your time Clawhauser."

"No problem! If you ever want anything, just ask. You're the one who uncovered Olivier's hideout after all, so the least we can do is to give some respect to you."

You did not just say that.

"Clawhauser!"

I turned my head slowly to the two behind me, hoping that they didn't catch that last part. Needless to say, my hope was shattered as soon as I saw their questioning faces. How am I going to explain this to them now? Goddammit.

"What's this about a hideout I just hear? Ken, care to elaborate?" Leina broke the ice with an interrogative voice.

"It's nothing! Right Clawhauser!?" I turned back to the cheetah, only to see no one standing there. How the heck did he run away so fast? Well, I guess he IS a cheetah.

"I don't think 'it's nothing' compared to when we were in the café earlier." Wesley suddenly added. I facepalmed before turning to them.

"Let's head outside first. I don't wanna raise a commotion here." I gestured.

"So it IS big. Well, this better be good." Leina smiled mischievously. I only shrugged.

We left the building after and searched for a nearby bench to sit on. We found it right in front of the City Hall so it made us feel safer. Not to mention the ZPD is just steps away from City Hall.

"Okay. So let's hear this story of yours." His smile was still as mischievous as ever.

"Alright, jeez." I shifted myself from the bench, "It was two weeks ago, a day after I got sent here to be exact. I kinda made friends with the two cops earlier and I got to stay at Nick's apartment." I started explaining my encounter.

"So how exactly did you uncover this 'hideout'?" Wesley asked indifferently.

"Well… Long story short, I got kidnapped and got sent into an abandoned facility." I tried to make it sound as normal as possible.

I failed.

"Whoa, what!? Why didn't you tell us this earlier!?" Leina snapped all of a sudden.

"I didn't want you to worry. And I thought not mentioning this would be the best course of action. But I knew sooner or later I had to eventually explain it to you."

Wesley for some reason had remained his cool and asked me further, "I see. So what happened after that? Did the cops save you? Did you…got hurt?" His curiosity overlapped his concern.

"I did send Nick a 'help me' message. But in the end, I escaped from there by myself. I ran away as far as I could and I ended up at an inn somewhere in Tundratown."

"You…were taken to Tundratown? Nevermind that, how did you even escape from there? Did you found a secret exit or something?" Leina further questioned me.

"Let's put it that way." I smiled convincingly. "That's where I met Hope as well. He reminded me a lot of you, Leina."

"Haha, really?" Leina giggled, scratching his head.

"Yeah. It really contrasts on the new you."

"Hey!" He punched my arm playfully. We all laughed about it.

"Well, that's the gist of it. Nick came shortly after and we finally apprehended my abductors, who turned out to be a far bigger group than I imagined."

"Wow. You must've been famous after that, huh?" Wesley remarked.

"Not really, no. I was mentioned here and there, but the whole event was forgotten in mere days. This is a big city and all, so it's not that surprising."

"I see." Leina nodded. "So anyways, should we return back by now?"

"Yeah." I took a glance at my phone for the time; 8 PM was shown there. It really was getting late. "Okay then, let's go." We stood up and walked towards the way to my apartment. I immediately was reminded to contact Nick, so I turned my phone on and began calling him.

…

…

…

_"Hello?"_

"Hi Nick! I was just from the station earlier. But Clawhauser said you and Judy haven't returned yet."

_"Yeah, about that… We're kinda out of town. So we probably won't be coming back today."_

"Out of town? What for?"

_"We're investigating something related to the prison outbreak. Our leads led us here, so nothing we can do much about it."_

"Ah, okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

_"Yeah, see ya."_

He hung up and I put my phone away. Out of town, huh? I wonder why the culprits would go out of town… Wait, if you think about it, that'd be a perfect getaway, huh? I just hope nothing bad will happen. Also, that feeling I had earlier…it's still present. I couldn't really describe it other than using the word dread. But just in case…I'll warn Nick.

I took out my phone again and opened the messaging app. Choosing Nick from the contacts, I rapidly tapped my phone keys.

_"Nick, it's me again. I just want to say be careful in whatever you're doing or will do. I had a bad feeling since this afternoon that I couldn't really place. I know I might just be too paranoid, but do keep a lookout for something dangerous."_

I think that's plenty. I tapped the send button, hoping he will read it in time. We then continued our night walk.

It didn't last very long.

* * *

"Who was it?" Judy asked at Nick's sudden caller with her eyes still on the road.

"It was Ken. He said that he went to the precinct looking for us. God, imagine the look on his face when he found out that we're out of town." Nick snickered.

"Well that can't be helped, can it? We're currently hot on the track of something important." Judy giggled.

"Heh. Anyways, are we there yet? I'm starving over here."

The vehicle stopped abruptly, causing Nick to tumble down his seat.

"We're here." Judy smirked.

"That's the second time you've done that Carrots, you sly bunny." He grinned back.

"Same ol' usual dumb fox." She sneered.

The two left their vehicle and went inside a diner in front of them. A variety of scents wafted through the air, creating a mixed but pleasant sensation in their noses. There were only a few customers at that time, and all of them looked very countryside-ish. They scouted for an empty seat and found it next to a lone wolf eating something they didn't bother to look at. Soon a waiter came to bring the menu to them. Nick observed intently at it before deciding his order. He ordered a cup of coffee and a grilled fish; although he never liked eating fishes, he had to because of the unavailability of blueberries. And crickets. Judy had ordered steamed carrots in contrast to Nick's meal. They both exchanged a confuzzled look before sighing.

"Why did you order a coffee this late at night?" Judy asked first.

"No reason. I just like drinking coffee." He smirked.

"That's not even close to what I'm asking."

"Exactly."

Judy only gave a defeated sigh. She knew she wouldn't win against him. Their meals soon came and they devoured it without even flinching, as opposed to their hunger.

"That was better than I expected." Nick remarked.

"Yeah. I guess the countryside's not that bad after all, huh?" She simpered. "Alright, go wait for me in the car, I'm gonna pay for our meals." Judy said, standing up. Nick nodded and proceeded outside the diner.

"This is gonna be a long chase, isn't it…?" Nick told himself. He looked up to see the sky; the previous shimmering stars were replaced by pitch black darkness. He sighed and went to the vehicle parked near the building. He unwittingly took out his phone to see the time but was greeted by an unread message from Ken instead.

_"Nick, it's me again. I just want to say be careful in whatever you're doing or will do. I had a bad feeling since this afternoon that I couldn't really place. I know I might just be too paranoid, but do keep a lookout for something dangerous."_

"What…?" Nick was left with a distressed expression.

"Are you alright there, pal?" An elderly voice came out from behind him. He turned instinctively and he saw the wolf from earlier. "You looked pale there for a second." He said in a quiet and mysterious tone.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." He used his skills to smile as convincingly as possible.

"If you say so. It's getting late, so you should go back to your home." The wolf started walking away.

_"Wait, this might be my only chance."_

"Sir, wait!" Nick yelled while running after him. The wolf then turned back to him raising his eyebrows. "I have a question. Have you seen a white van around here today?"

"A white van? Now that you mention it, I did see something like that this morning."

"Did you know where it went by any chance?"

"Last time I saw the van it went through Vapor Road. Do you have any business with it?"

"Kind of. Let's just put it that way." He smiled. "Thanks for your time."

"Well don't get yourself into trouble now." The wolf smiled back before walking back towards the way he went before.

As if on cue, Judy came out of the diner, her face contented.

"You won't believe how cheap our meals were!" She yelped happily.

"Carrots. We have a lead."

She quickly regained her composure, "Really? How did you find out?"

"I talked to that wolf from the diner earlier. Given the opportunity, I asked him if he has seen our van. He actually did! He told me that he last saw it going through Vapor Road, wherever that is."

"And that's when technology comes in." She smirked then took out her phone. Sensing the hint, Nick took out his phone as well before remembering Ken's cryptic message.

"I also forgot to tell you, Ken sent me a message telling that we should be extra careful in our investigations."

"He did? That's unusual. Paranoia, maybe?"

"Could be. But this is Ken we're talking about. Anything could happen when he's involved.

"That's true. I guess we should keep our heads up." Judy nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, back to our original case..." They both simultaneously opened their Maps app, panning over the overview of the town. "Let's see... Vapor Road...that's down to the south. We're currently at Haymarket, supposedly this town." Nick examined the map intently.

"There's a bunch of unmarked buildings along the road. Do you think they might be hiding in one of them?"

"Only one way to find out." Nick showed his signature smirk.

They rode their vehicle and drove down the street to their destination, Vapor Road. It was ambiguous at best, but they had to keep their chin up if they want to catch the culprits. With that in mind, they scouted their surroundings along the way, hoping to see a trace of that white van.

It seems like their hard work has paid off.

They finally saw their target; the white van, parked in front of an abandoned house. They kept their distance and started calling the Dispatch on the other end of their radio. It took Clawhauser a full minute to register what was happening and he finally sent reinforcements that will hopefully surround their targets.

"Let's take the initiative." Judy gestured before getting out of the car. Nick followed suit and they walked towards the building in slow pacing; they didn't want to alert the denizens inside that building. They walked up the porch of the house and positioned themselves so that they could hear any voices inside of the abandoned house with their tranq gun at bay. A variety of voices came from the inside with a female voice being the most distinguishable.

 _"Look. We saved you not because we're criminals, we saved you to avoid a disaster that will happen in the near future."_ The feminine voice spoke out loudly.

 _"We don't want to get involved any further. I suggest you lay low here for a while and don't do anything that will agitate the police or it'll be your last. We have done everything we can, and the rest is up to you to decide. We're not responsible from here on out."_ A man's voice followed that seemed to be in his early twenties.

"Are they talking to the convicts?" Judy whispered to Nick.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah." He whispered back.

"I think they're moving out. Let's take a step back to see where they're going." Judy suggested. Nick agreed and they hid behind the porch of the house.

Just as they predicted, the front door soon swung open and two now not-so-heavily cloaked tigers crept out of the house. They closed the door behind and walked vigilantly off the porch. Judy and Nick quietly followed after them in the shroud of some conveniently-placed bushes while keeping their distance at the same time.

The two tigers finally reached their van but they were still mindful of their surroundings. Judy and Nick looked briefly and nodded to confirm their idea; apprehending them on the spot.

"ZPD! Put your hands in the air!" Judy flung herself from the bushes and yelled at the tigers while holding her tranq gun, effectively making a perfect surprise attack. The tigers quickly complied and stood there in utter shock.

"Not so sneaky now, are we?" Nick made a not-so-surprising entry the same time as Judy, but his smirk put the tigers at edge even more.

"H-how did you find where we are!?" The younger tiger demanded.

"You have the right to remain silent." Judy said in a stern tone while placing her radio closer to her face, "This is Officer Hopps here, we have apprehended our suspects. Requesting an ETA for reinforcements."

 _"Copy that Officer Hopps, reinforcements will arrive in approximately seven minutes."_ The voice on the other end replied.

"Chris…what are we going to do?" The female tiger whispered.

"I have a plan. Stay close to me, I'm gonna get us out of here. What happens here is none of our problems, remember?" The male tiger whispered back. The former only nodded as a reply.

"We have a lot of questions we need to address…let's get you to our vehicle and-"

"Ash, now!" The male tiger yelled and hugged the other tiger before Judy could finish her sentence.

"What the-" Nick's sentence got cut off as well by a sudden shockwave emanating from the tiger's spot. The two cops had to turn their backs on the sudden blast that just happened. After the blast subsided they both quickly turned again to see their suspects. All that's left was just markings of rustled grass on where the tigers were.

They had escaped.

* * *

**The delay is real, huh? I had put a lot of work into this chapter. Well anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing this particular chapter. So as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	16. The Meeting

**First off I just want to apologize for the extensive delay. I was having a tough writer's block recently and I honestly lost the motivation to continue the fanfic. There arenumber of factors that caused this, first was games, which honestly isn't that surprising. And 2 weeks ago I found the Zootopia Discord and that's when things went downhill fast. I got so distracted that I always forgot to continue writing or just simply because a lack of motivation to do so. (Do join the ZootopiaDiscord though! A very nice community, I'd say.) Then there's school whichhave just started. Yeah, so basically I became very busy in life. But enough backstory, let's get right into this chapter!**

* * *

Me, Leina and Wesley were coming home from the ZPD but a loud crash caught our attention on our way back. Thankfully there was nobody nearby so we were the only ones who heard that. We decided to check it out after a bit of hesitation, which led us to a particular alley. My heart nearly dropped when I saw a tiger lying unconscious in the middle of the alley. We had a debate whether we should leave the cloaked tiger or not but I insisted that we should check their condition first. I managed to convince them and I rushed to the tiger's side.

"Hey… Are you okay?" I said in a calm tone while gently shaking them. I probably shouldn't refer this tiger as a 'they' anymore since her body shape is obviously leaning towards a female.

"Urgh…." The tiger slowly regained her consciousness. She eventually opened her eyes and sat upright, revealing a white t-shirt with floral patterns over it underneath her cloak. Why was she wearing a cloak in the first place anyway? She clutched her head and shook it for a bit before having a clear vision of us.

"Can you stand?" I said, reaching out my paw. She had a mixed expression of confusion and worriedness that I couldn't quite place.

"Oh no…" She murmured before yelling a name, "Chris!" She bolted up from her spot.

Leina quickly rushed past me, "Hey! Are you okay?" He asked the tiger worriedly.

She took a long pause before responding in a dismissive tone, "I'm fine. Who are you people?" She demanded.

"That's what we should be asking." Wesley spoke from behind, walking closer towards us. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Unconscious even." He asked suspiciously.

"That's none of your business." She retorted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to." She walked out of the alley while taking her phone out of her pocket.

"So much for gratitude." Wesley rolled his eyes, "C'mon, we have better things to do." He started walking to the opposite way where the tiger was. This isn't what I wanted… Why are we getting antagonistic against each other?

"Miss, wait!" I shouted before running towards her.

"K-Ken!?" Leina tried to stop me but I didn't want to end our meeting like this. She could be in danger!

"What is it now? Can't you see I'm busy?" She said whilst looking at her phone.

"I just want to know if you're fine or not. I can't just ignore a person who mysteriously ended up in some alley. The least we can do is bringing you somewhere. Like to a hospital!" I said, hoping she would agree with me. What followed was a long sigh from her.

"Fox, look. I know you're worried about me, but I'm totally fine. I just need to contact my brother and I'm out of here." She replied, finally looking at me.

"It's true that you're okay, but… Let's just go somewhere safe first, okay? Then you can contact for your brother once we get there." I pleaded.

She sighed once more, "Alright, jeez. If that'll make you happy, then okay." She scratched her head in defeat and I smiled in return. Wow, my stubbornness actually paid off. Hooray, I guess.

I walked back towards Wesley and Leina with the tiger following me from behind with an annoyed expression, although she was still looking at her phone.

"I'm not going to question how you managed to convince her to follow us." Wesley said indifferently once I caught up with them, "But anyways, where exactly are we taking her to? The hospital is pretty far away from here according to the map."

Had he been examining our routes since then? Wow. I applaud you for that, Wesley.

"Well… I did say a 'safe place'. We haven't gone too far from the ZPD, right? What better place to be safe at other than the ZPD?" I smirked at him.

He shrugged, "Whatever." Then he started walking ahead of us.

"Okay! let's go." I announced and followed Wesley. The walk was mostly silent, Leina and I made a couple of chatters but it always ended in awkwardness. I took out my phone and examined the time. It was almost 10 PM. I sighed and proceeded to open the Maps App. Somehow we're still near the ZPD so it'll only take about 10 minutes to get there. I closed it and put my phone away, turning back to the tiger behind us. Her expression was replaced by worriedness. That's normal, right? I mean which person wants to wake up in an alley in the night? That's downright absurd, so there's no problem in being worried. I might as well start a conversation with her, because why not?

"Hey, do you mind if you tell us your name?" That's what all I could ask. I wanted to facepalm myself over my lack of social skills.

She went silent for a while before responding, "Ashley. Ashley Quessenberry." She replied nonchalantly before turning to her phone again.

"Huh. Nice to meet you, Ashley, even though that wasn't exactly the best introduction to us." I commented, "We should probably introduce ourselves as well. This here is my best friend, Leina. And this other dude is Wesley."

"Excuse me? Can you refrain mentioning me as "this other dude"? I'm a living being too, you know." Wesley complained.

"Aye-aye captain." I teased him followed with a snicker. Leina could be seen chuckling as well. He grunted before turning away.

"So… What's yours?"

"Oh! Yeah, my name's-"

"We're here!" Leina announced, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"Um, I'll tell you once we're there. Let's go!" We quickened our pace, eventually arriving in front of the ZPD. What we didn't expect was a surge of troops pouring out from the building, into their cruisers and driving away towards the city. What's happening?

"…did we miss something?" Wesley said in a confused state.

"I don't know what's happening either. Let's head inside." We nodded and ran into the building. I glanced briefly at the tiger, a mix of confusion and worry was brewing in her face.

The inside wasn't as chaotic as the outside so at least we got a sense of calmness there. A distressed Clawhauser could be seen on his station, frantically shouting at the mic on his desk.

"Should we even be here?" Leina asked worriedly.

"Let's just wait on the sides until this 'uprising' subsides. We can't really do anything at this point." I suggested.

"I agree. We'd just be in their way." Wesley spoke up.

"But on the bright side, though, we reached our original goal!" I cheered before walking towards a nearby bench to sit, "You can contact your brother now, I guess." I gestured.

A brief silence followed before she started fumbling with her phone. I smiled and turned back to my friends, only to be interrupted by her voice.

"Thanks…" She mumbled, "Sorry for my negative attitude earlier. I was really stressed out."

"That's understandable. You must've been through a lot." I sympathized, "The point is that now you're safe." I smiled.

She nodded then smiled back. This is the first time I see her smile, and she looks absolutely beautiful. It still doesn't answer the question on how we found her in the alley, though. No matter where you look at it, it's just impossible for someone to just find themselves lying there. I have several scenarios in my mind on how she got there, but all of them involves bad things, which I'm sure she doesn't associate with, given her personality. I don't think I should ask her either, I don't wanna offend her any further.

"You still haven't told me your name."

"O-oh, yeah!" I snapped back into reality, "My name's Ken. Ken Miller."

Her expression immediately dropped after I said that. "No way… You're that Ken?"

"Uh, yeah? Is something wrong?"

She quickly regained her composure, "No! Not at all!" She smiled sheepishly, "I never thought I'd meet you like this!" She tried not to squeal, looking from her face. How did she even know me – Oh, right. The news.

"Yeah… Nice to meet you." I smiled hesitantly. I don't know what it was, but it's making me feel uncomfortable.

We finally halted our conversation as I said that. I turned back to my friends who had been giggling the whole time. I raised an eyebrow but they only smirked as a return. I'm really confused, was it something I did? I shrugged and let out a deep breath.

"So where exactly is your brother?" Wesley spoke up from the sides.

"He hasn't answered my calls and replied my texts yet. To be honest, I'm very worried about him…"

"Of course you are." He added.

"That's bad. Did you get separated? Or did something happen to you two?" Leina asked further.

"It's a personal thing. I couldn't really tell you, sorry." She said sternly.

"Oh, I didn't mean to!" Leina freaked out a little bit.

She only let out a sigh. I knew it was something personal. Thank goodness I didn't ask her that earlier. On another note, the officers are gradually dispersing from the building. I'm getting uneasy by the second, is this related to the case Judy and Nick are handling? Are they safe right now? Who exactly is this mysterious tiger? So many questions filled my mind it almost overwhelmed me. I need something to distract me before I become lightheaded.

That's right, my phone!

I took my phone out and unlocked it, revealing an unread message from Hope. Why didn't it notify me? I'm pretty sure I didn't silence the phone…or maybe I might've just missed it. Not really that big of a problem anyway.

My heart almost popped out when my phone rang violently as I was tapping the screen. I calmed myself down and looked at the caller; It was Hope. What a coincidence, I was just about to see his message. What could he possibly want to tell me this late of night, I wonder?

* * *

The tiger slowly opened his eyes, clutching his head in pain. He was laying on top of a concrete material. He got up and noticed the apparently abandoned warehouses surrounding him.

"Ash…we made it…" He muttered softly before realizing that his sister wasn't anywhere near him.

"Ash? Ash!?" The tiger called for her name but only silence responded, aside from the reduced traffic due to being so late at night.

"Dammit!" He cursed, kicking a nearby tin can to vent his frustrations. "Okay, calm down. This hasn't happened before, so what could've gone wrong? I'm pretty sure I did it correctly. But did we mess up somehow…?" He wondered. Seeing he couldn't get any answers if he stayed in that place, he decided to search for the exit, which was stationed pretty far away from where he was. But he finally found it and exited the place, revealing a more city-esque view. He then walked towards the nearest building he saw.

"Okay… Let's see where I am first…" He said, opening his phone. To his surprise, there was no reception there. "Shit, at times like these too!" He gritted his teeth in anger.

Despair was starting to seep into his mind. Thoughts of losing his sister began portraying into his memories again, making him shiver in fear.

He slumped down to the floor weakly, trying to overcome the feeling he's having. But something woke him out of his misery, much to his surprise.

"Hey, are you okay?" A voice spoke from his back with a worried tone. The tiger turned around and saw an unusual arctic fox hunched down beside him. "Do you need some help? You don't seem sober enough to walk." He reached out his hand, trying to help the tiger get up. The tiger reluctantly took the fox's paw, feeling confused as for why he mentioned the word sober.

"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern." The tiger said solemnly.

"Oh! Sorry for assuming that you're drunk! You really looked like you were." Hope replied, scratching his head in embarrassment.

The tiger kept silent while locking his gaze at him, clearly not impressed.

"A-anyways! Onto the bigger question, what are you doing here this late at night? You were acting kinda strange when I first saw you." The fox questioned him, trying to turn the tables.

"I was... Searching for something..." He was stuttering through his words. The feeling of being cornered wasn't exactly the best kind. He sighed heavily afterward.

"A-are you sure you're okay?" Hope shifted unusually, still wary of the tiger's presence.

"I said I'm fine." He said while rubbing his head, "Where are we exactly?" He asked bluntly.

"Uh… We're currently on Hill Street. Are you going somewhere?"

"No." He said before looking at his device strapped to his hand. A wristwatch of some sorts, but not exactly it.

The fox curiously peeked on the device, trying to make on what it was. It was something he has never seen before so it was truly fascinating to him considering his geeky nature.

"Hey! What's that?" Hope asked eagerly, catching the tiger's attention.

"Oh, this? It's a smartwatch." He answered casually.

"What does it do?"

"Basically what a smartphone does in wristwatch form."

"That's so cool! Where did you buy it? I need to have one of those!" He yelped excitedly.

"It's…" He paused, trying to make an excuse for some unknown reason, "I bought it from a…store in my city, so I don't know if it's available here." He smiled for the first time.

"You're not from Zootopia? Huh. I have a friend from outside the city too." Hope remarked.

"Oh? That's pretty neat. Not many people I meet have connections outside the city." He rubbed his chin in astonishment.

"Hmm… What's your name?" Hope asked after a brief silence, taking the tiger's attention from his device again.

"Christopher. But just call me Chris." He said without averting his attention from his device.

"Okay. Nice to meet you Chris, my name's Hope." He smiled reaching his paw to him. The tiger blinked before registering what was the gesture for. It took a while before the tiger reached his, shaking their paws.

"Well. That was a little awkward." Hope chuckled.

"Sorry. I'm not really a socially interactive person." He bluntly said again, making Hope chuckle even more.

"That's okay. You remind me of him in a way, haha."

"Who?"

"Oh, it's my friend. But anyways, is your home near here? I can accompany you if you like. My apartment's not too far from here as well." Hope proposed.

"Er, I actually live in the Rainforest District." He said, catching Hope by surprise.

"Really? How did you end up here then? That's like ways away from here!"

"I don't know…" He said uncertainly.

"I see… Well, it's really getting late, so why don't you stay at my apartment for the night?"

He was taken aback at his offering. Surely a random person he just met on the street couldn't offer a place to stay for him, right? Wrong. Hope was different from the others. Even though he was a fox, he didn't faze with the constant racism towards foxes. He had learned it the hard way. He was kind to everybody, no matter what species they are. Some have called him naïve for that, but he kept going the path he chose.

"Thanks. But I need to find someone." He declined.

"Oh? Is it your friend? I can help you find them if you want."

"It's my sister actually. I think we got separated and ended up here. I still don't know where she is."

"That's terrible!" The fox gasped.

"Yeah. I tried calling her but the last time I checked my phone had no service here. Let me see it one more time…" He said as he took out his phone. "…yep, still out of range."

"That's weird." Hope took out his phone as well, "Yeah, there's no reception on my phone either. Did something happen?" He wondered out loud. "Well, either way, we should move to a more populated area. We're bound to find stronger signal there, I think."

"That's a good idea, but are you sure you want to help? It's kinda my business and all."

"It's no problem. I know someone that can help you find your sister too!"

"That's really kind of you. Thanks." The tiger smiled, revealing a toothy grin. Despite his ragged and disheartening appearance (which Hope hadn't commented on), he was actually a really calm and kind person.

"Okay then! Let's get going." Hope said, leading the way towards the way to Ken's apartment with Chris following from behind.

The night wasn't going to end so soon. In fact, it was going to get much longer. The moon was shining brightly as always, illuminating the unpredictable future beyond.

* * *

**I'm sorry if the story's lacking some plot, I really struggled to find some in my free time, which to be honest isn't that much. In other news, I'm back! And I'll try not to be lazy (like I always do) this time. Reviews are greatly appreciated still, so please keep them coming! It's the only way I can improve on this fic (well, besides writing more fics, but that's beside the point).**

**But anyways, as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	17. The Confession

"Get down!" Chris said instinctively and ducked down behind a nearby wall, effectively hiding him from the surge of police vehicles coming down the road with sirens blaring from every corner.

"Wha-what's happening!?" Hope frantically followed suit, trying to make sense on why were they hiding from the police.

The traffic finally subsided and they stood up with Chris ever so vigilant.

"I think we lost them." He said warily.

"Wait just a damn minute. Why did we have to hide from the cops? Unless…" He started to assume things he shouldn't.

"Look at my appearance. I'm _highly_ suspicious, and I'm not going to take any chances with the police." Chris argued. Hope started examining the tiger's clothes and finally nodded in agreement.

"That's strange, though, we just walked for about ten meters away from where we were and suddenly the police started rushing down this road. Do you think something might've happened?"

"I don't know, but we shouldn't get near them."

"That's probably for the best, yeah."

They finally continued their trek towards their destination, occasionally checking for suspicious things on their way. Hope took out his phone out of instinct after walking for about 10 minutes. Unsurprisingly, there were still no reception to be found around them. He decided to make a draft to Ken so that he'd know that he was coming to meet him. He finished his draft and put his phone away.

"So what makes you decide to visit Zootopia?" Hope asked, hoping to start a conversation with him.

"We have our reasons." Chris answered solemnly, which Hope only gulped as a return.

"I see…sorry for asking."

"That's fine."

Another awkward silence. Hope didn't expect for his conversation to end so soon, and he kind of blamed himself for that. He tried to think of a conversation topic again but his mind for some reason wouldn't cooperate. It seems like talking wasn't the best option at the time so he decided kept his mouth shut on the way.

He occasionally checked his phone for any signs of reception but none was appearing every time he did. What exactly happened to the carrier? It wasn't like that the before he met Chris. Was he somewhat linked to this? He was starting to assume bad things again, which made him disgusted at himself. He wasn't this kind of a person, so why now?

He shook his head, trying to get rid of his new feelings that were flowing within him. But every time he looked at the tiger, that exact feeling always emerged inside of him. He really _needed_ some answers, the feeling of being left out on information he doesn't know about _really_ bugged him. Nevertheless, he kept calm about it. Surely there must be a time where he will tell a side of his story.

Suddenly Chris stopped his pace abruptly, making Hope bump into his back. He recoiled back while clutching his muzzle in confusion.

"Hey, why did you stop? What's happening?"

"Something's going on ahead. Be careful."

"Huh?" Hope peeked behind the tiger's side, trying to see what Chris was talking about.

It was dark so he couldn't see the thing clearly and his night vision only helped ever so slightly, but he saw a figure, 'crawling' on the ground away from them. The figure was pitch black and it didn't seem to wear any clothing.

"Wha…what the heck is that!?" He clearly was startled by the being in front of them.

"Shh! Follow me!" He nimbly ran to the side, going towards an intersection to the right of them with Hope following him frantically. Things were starting to get weirder, first was Chris, and now the mysterious figure. What exactly was happening?

They finally stopped in front of a closed store, still puffing from the exhaustion they had. Hope was on the verge of snapping but the tiger calmed him down before it did. They exchanged some stares before one of them broke it with a long sigh.

"Let's continue. I'll explain everything I know in time." Chris said solemnly. Hope only gave a blank stare before going forward.

The walk was quiet as always, neither of them spoke the entire way. That is until hope stopped walking and turned back to Chris. The stagnant atmosphere with dead traffic made it even worse.

"Check your phone. There should be a signal by now." Hope said blankly. The tiger tilted his head before pulling out his phone. To his surprise, he got bombarded with tons of missed calls and messages from none other than Ashley. He thanked the fox before stepping away from him to mind his business. He sighed and proceeded to open his own phone. The first thing he thought was to tell Ken about his encounter, which was understandable considering the things that have happened to him. And, well, to Chris as well.

He quickly went through his list of apps and went to call Ken among his sea of questions.

…

…

…

_"Hey! I was just about to call you."_

"Ken... Are you okay? Did something weird happened over there?"

_"Huh? What do you mean?"_

"Just answer me!"

_"U-uh...no?"_

"Really!? Oh, thank God..."

_"Well...something DID happen. It's not as weird as it's bizarre."_

"What are you saying…?"

 _"Me, Wesley and Leina 'found' someone on our way home. We decided to take her somewhere safe so we went to the ZPD. Although_ _we were_ _greeted by the cops rushing out from the building. And it's still going on right now..."_

"That explains why we saw the police this late of night... Wait, did you say you found a person?"

_"Yeah. We found her laid unconscious in the middle of an alley. It was really...mind boggling."_

"Is... Is she a tiger...by any chance?"

_"…how did you know?"_

The dots were starting to come together. The next thing that must be needed to do was to reunite them all together again.

"Are you still at the station?"

_"Uh, yeah? Wait, don't ignore my question!"_

"I'll tell you later. I'm coming there right now, so wait for me!"

*click*

Hope hung up with his face looking determined as ever. He took a glance at Chris which had been staring at him for a while.

"Change of plans, we're going to the ZPD." He said sternly.

"ZPD? Why?" He asked puzzlingly. Of all the places, why there?

"I think I _know_ where your sister is."

"Really!? Where is she!?"

"I think…I think she's currently with my friend there."

"Oh… But wait, why is she with your friend? And why are they at the station?"

"I don't know the exact details but they're there and we should hurry."

"…you're right. Let's go." They finally nodded in agreement and dashed down the road.

Unlike the rest of the trips they've had, this time, they were set on the same goal. They ran through the streets relentlessly, trying to avoid any conversation that might hinder their progress. The distance to the station was farther than they anticipated, however, but it wasn't enough to slow down their pace. They stopped every now and to catch some air but they always immediately continued.

About half an hour or so they've finally arrived in front of the ZPD building. No cops were in sight, to their surprise. But that didn't make them falter; they rushed into the building without hesitation.

"Hope! You're here!" Ken stood up from his seat as soon as he saw him came into the building.

"Chris!?" The female tiger gasped in disbelief before she leaped towards the other tiger next to Hope.

"Ashley!" He hugged her when she finally reached him. They were finally reunited.

Hope walked towards Ken with a relieved face over him. Although he and the others behind his back were staring at Hope and his new 'buddy' confusedly. It was about time for some explanation.

"So that's Ashley's brother huh? How did you find him?" Ken took the initiative.

"Probably the same as you found his sister. On the streets." He replied with a smirk.

"Well. I can't say that you're wrong. Either way, I'm glad that they've met each other. We were actually going to find her brother as well but we decided to wait until whatever that's going on right now ended."

"Yeah, speaking of which, what's with the sudden streak of cops on the street?"

"That's what we want to know." Ken said, turning to Clawhauser, still at his desk albeit less flustered than before. "I'll go ask him on the current situation. You can join my friends back there; I'll be back shortly." He said. Hope nodded in agreement and walked away. Ken hurriedly reached over for the cheetah's desk and caught his attention. For some reason he never knew that they were there the whole time.

"Hey, Clawhauser? Do you mind filling us up on what's happening?" Ken asked the cheetah who replied in a calm but professional manner.

"Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde have caught our escaped convicts; all of them. They're currently being apprehended near Meadowlands. We have no visuals on the people who broke them out, sadly."

"So that's why they are out of town… I see. Are they going to be alright?"

"We're not sure. Our equipment was…unusable shortly after they asked for reinforcements. It was back on after a while, though, but we don't know exactly what happened."

"Unusable…? That's odd."

"Yeah, it was really weird. It was fine a while before but it suddenly stopped working. Thankfully it resumed after a short while."

"Okay, I think I get the gist of it. Thanks Clawhauser." Ken concluded his conversation with a smile.

"No problem." He saluted before doing something that Ken didn't bother looking. He walked back towards his friends, eager to share the information he's gotten. He took a quick glance at the tigers who were still near the entrance; they were talking about something inaudible to him since he was far from them. He brushed it off and continued walking, finally arriving.

"So? What did he say?" Wesley asked him first, unsurprisingly to Ken. He then explained what he heard from Clawhauser down to the last details. He was good retelling it too, much to his surprise. After the third time of running out of breath, they've finally understood the situation.

"Are you sure you're not giving too much information?" Leina asked teasingly.

"There's no such thing as too much info!" He said proudly.

"...right. Anyways, now that we know what's happening, what are going to do with those two?" Wesley said, gazing at the two tigers.

"I'll bring them here. They need to know, too." Hope suggested then began going towards them. He could see the tigers examining Chris' device intently, which made him even more curious about the contraption.

"Hey! We've figured out what happened!" He 'announced' after closing in on them, "You wanna hear...it...?" His voice gradually stopped as he saw their serious expressions towards him. "...is something the matter?"

"Hope... I have something important that I need to confess." Chris spoke up with an even more serious tone.

"But you must promise not to tell a single soul about this...except for Ken." Ashley added.

"What are you trying to say...? And why only Ken?" Hope demanded.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell this sooner, but... We're originally not from this world."

"What...?"

"I know it's hard to believe. But trust me, we had a hard time believing it either."

"It all started a year ago when we still were in our other world. Me and my sister were invited to a prom party at school. We had a choice to decline it, but we decided it'd be great to hang out with our other friends. But something unfortunate happened to us. We were suddenly 'pulled down' by a mysterious vehicle on the way there. Being the naïve man I was, I pulled my car down the street, oblivious to the fact that they were actually muggers.

Well, long story short, I resisted. But we didn't know they were armed. They took out a gun...and shot us."

Hope was left hanging on the edge, trying to apprehend on what he just heard. He only gave an uncertain nod to them.

"And then...we were brought here, as a second chance of living for us."

"You probably never knew, but Ken had the same fate as us. Well not exactly the _same,_ but he was brought to here as well." Ashley added.

"How...how did you know Ken came from another world?" Hope finally started asking questions.

"I didn't. It was Ashley who told me. You see, we were brought to this world along with special abilities; _perks_ , you could say. We never knew we had those abilities until I noticed the new programs that were installed on my smartwatch. I tried them one by one, and I ended up on a particular app. Apparently, it allows me to identify my perks, as well as others who perhaps may happen to have perks as we do. I obviously never used on others besides me and Ashley. I first tested it on myself and the results were somehow surprising.

I apparently have the ability of teleportation to places I've been. And Ashley here, she has the ability to predict the future. We tried testing our powers, and suffice to say, it was real. She tried to see small things first and then it came true, just like in her visions. I can teleport to somewhere I've been or seen, but I can also teleport to an unknown place, but the results will be somewhat dangerous for obvious reasons.

The thing we've noticed when using our powers that it drains our stamina depending on how much we use it. One of the apps on my smartwatch can monitor those, thankfully. But we had to be careful not to use it too much, nevertheless." Chris finally finished his sentence.

"...wow. I don't know how to respond to that other than just...wow." Hope was amazed by Chris' explanation.

"There's something else we need to tell you...something more important." Ashley spoke up.

"There's something special about Ash's ability, at least from what we've seen. There were times that something...destructive would happen in her visions. We ignored it first, thinking it couldn't be that bad and we shouldn't meddle in their business, but the outcome was...to put it bluntly, disastrous. I won't get into much detail on this. We should've interfered with them, after all.

Two weeks ago, she had another vision that a person will bring disaster in the future. It was very vague at the time so we decided to ignore it. But soon her visions started to get clearer; a person that was brought here as a fox will do something that will cause something horrendous. And you probably know who that person is."

Hope gasped, "You don't mean...Ken!?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Of course, we didn't know who he was back then so we had a lot of trouble finding him. But then we saw the news regarding the apprehension of the recent smuggling ring containing the Night Howlers the day after. We were taken by surprise that the person who found their hideout was none other than Ken. We immediately knew what her vision meant, they weren't supposed to get caught this soon, but Ken had interfered and effectively changed the timeline. We finally decided to change the timeline back to normal by breaking them out of prison."

"So you were the ones that...!" Hope yelped in disbelief.

"...yes. We had no choice but to do it as we didn't want to witness another calamity. But alas, our actions were rendered futile for the police have found our base. I had to teleport somewhere, _anywhere,_ so I did that, but we ended up getting separated. And then this happened."

Hope stood there in even more disbelief. The person he just found was actually the culprit of the prison breakout! But he didn't know what to do, turning them in would mean he would become a bad friend to them, and at the same time not doing that will make the police search for them harder. He didn't want to do either of that! He just wanted all of these to be not real...but the reality was right in front of him, and there was no way to escape it.

Silence ensued before Chris continued talking, "I wasn't planning to tell you this, but since you're close friends with Ken, I need you to pass this to Ken, and only Ken." Chris said solemnly.

"But…why only Ken?"

"We can't let unrelated people know about this. You should know what'll happen if we tell them, right?"

"Oh… Yeah, okay. But I can tell Ken's friends, right? Since they're from the same world and all."

"…what?" Both the tigers said in unison confusingly.

"Wesley and Leina. They both came here from the same world as Ken's to search for him, at least from what I've heard."

"No way! Did they really end their lives just to join him!?" She said in incredulity.

"What? No. I don't really know the details, but they said they performed a ritual to get transferred here. Not that I'm questioning it, I've heard more bizarre things than that."

"That's…new to us. Are you positive on what you've heard, though?" Chris still had doubts on his statement.

"...yes. Why would I lie at a time like this?" He pouted at them.

"I suppose you're right. I'm surprised Ashley didn't catch this up."

"Yeah, but at the same time if it doesn't show up in my visions then I think it means that they'll not cause anything terrible. From what I understand anyways."

"Got a point there. So far your visions have only involved Ken and small things, but mostly Ken."

They continued talking for a while as Hope fell silent in thoughts. He promptly shook them off after quite some time and looked at them with a serious face.

"So. What will you guys do now that the police have recaptured them?" Hope broke their ongoing conversation.

"Honestly, I've given up. I'll just let fate decide on what'll happen." Ashley shrugged in defeat.

"I'm leaning towards Ashley. We've done everything we could and at this point, I'm not sure if we can even do anything to them." Chris supported her statement.

"I see. But still, you haven't answered my earlier question."

"Oh, yeah. I guess telling them is okay." Chris scratched his head.

"You didn't sound really convincing…but anyways, can you wait outside for us? I'll bring the others there." Hope proposed.

"Alright." Ashley instantly agreed and started dragging Chris with her outside, making hope chuckle a bit. He moved towards where the group was, eager to share his newfound information to them.

"Whoa, what!? Are you sure you heard that right!?" Wesley asked back full with skepticism.

"Must you question everything people what people say? Of course it's true, and this isn't the time to be joking either." He snapped back.

"Err...sorry."

"…anyways, they're waiting outside for us. Let's go, we don't want to keep them waiting." Hope walked away after saying that.

"But still, I can't believe they're from the same as us! This is so mind blowing…" Ken mumbled while following Hope.

"It's not that surprising actually. I dunno…I've seen enough strange things to be faltered by this." Leina rubbed his chin deep in thoughts.

"In any case, I can't wait to check this 'perk' of mine!" Ken said enthusiastically, trying to keep his excitement.

"Perks, huh?" Wesley muttered softly.

After saying goodbye to Clawhauser they finally left the building again and joined the sibling outside. It was _dark._ Time had been always going forward, slowly, without them knowing.

"We're here. Sorry to keep you waiting." Hope spoke out first.

"Ah, hello. I never really introduced myself, did I? My name's Christopher Quessenberry, thanks for looking after my sister." He bowed down in respect.

"It's nothing! Please don't do that, I didn't do anything impactful or anything, so…" Ken quickly became flustered. If it wasn't for his fur, spots of red would've been seen from his cheeks. Chris stood upright again, still thankful for him.

"Anyways, we've heard your story. So you're from the same world as us, huh? That's neat, I never thought someone other than Ken have been brought here. Then again, I don't know that much people to begin with." Wesley said.

"I have a problem with it, though, why would you break those prisoners out? Isn't there a better way to do it?" Leina argued.

"We've looked for any sort of ways to do it but we always came to the same solution. Trust me, it's easier said than done." Ashley answered.

"If you say so…"

"Alright, now that's been settled, let's talk about our perks!" Ken said excitedly.

"Okay. What do you want to know?" Chris asked while smiling.

"Hmm, let's see… How exactly the perks are given to us?"

"Well, I don't really know about that, but I think it has something to do with your biggest _remorse_."

"My remorse? Like before I died?"

"You can put it like that."

"Well…I felt guilty by not moving fast enough to save Leina just before I was hit by a car…is that it?"

"Huh. That's unusual. But yeah, that's it. Okay, let's see what your perk is…" He fumbled with his device for a while before speaking up, "Oh wow. You have the abilities of an assassin. That's…pretty awesome if you ask me."

"An assassin? Really? I honestly never expected that. Are you sure that's it?"

"You can take a look here." Chris offered his hand for Ken to see. Obviously enough, it was just like he said.

"Wow…I really didn't expect this. I thought it was something cooler." Ken shrugged.

"…anyways, how about you two?" The tiger turned to the wolf and the raccoon.

"Er, I don't think we have that kind of abilities, since we're not dead and all." Leina laughed sheepishly.

"That's true, but I'll try." He fumbled with his device again. "…oh? It says that Leina is very close to 'unlocking' his perk. As for you, Wesley…it says that yours is still being shrouded in the darkness."

"Really? Haha, I never thought I'd have one of those. I'm curious on how I'll 'unlock' it, though."

"Mine is shrouded by the darkness? What?"

"I don't know, that's all that it said. There's not much info other than those either, so I guess you'll have to find out for yourselves on how to unlock them."

"That's a bummer. Ah well, nothing we can do about it." Leina shrugged it off instantly.

"You're really an easygoing person, aren'tcha?" Ashley teased him which made him blush a little.

"Heh, that I am." Leina laughed it off, causing a chain reaction among the group.

Hope out of instinct pulled out his phone to check the current time. It was exactly at midnight, which surprised him a bit. Time really wasn't on their side as it seems. He sighed and put it away, only to recall something he hasn't asked.

"Hey, I forgot to ask you something. What exactly that thing that we saw on the way here? That…creature." Hope chimed in.

"Those are called _Anomalies._ They always appear when something that shouldn't happen happened in the current timeline. There are many types of Anomalies, the things we saw is called a _Shadow_. It really lives up to its name. Anyways, we shouldn't get near those things as they are destructive. They act on instinct and will hurt anyone that stands on their way."

"Whoa, that's really creepy. Can we defeat them, somehow?" Leina asked.

"Unfortunately, we lack the necessary tools to defeat them. We can't really carry a weapon in broad daylight, you know?"

"But you saw them at nighttime." Wesley argued.

"That's irrelevant, the point is that they could appear at any time, but they mostly appear at night." Ashley corrected him.

"I see…"

"So yeah, that's my only explanation for it." Chris concluded.

"Well. In any case, we should get some rest for today. I'm really tired and could use some sleep right about now." Ken suggested.

"Ah, you're right. I've forgotten about the time. I guess we'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh wait, we haven't exchanged numbers yet!"

"Ah, almost forgot that too." Chris pulled out his phone and exchanged numbers with the rest of the gang. "Alright, we better go soon since we live in the Rainforest District. Ash, let's go." He walked away with his sister closely following him from behind. They waved at each other before turning back.

"This has been some day indeed. I can't keep up with all of these…" Leina pouted.

"Listen, we mustn't tell this to the police. We don't want unnecessary business, do we?" Hope spoke up.

"I agree. Let's just keep it low key for a while, it'll be over soon." Wesley replied. They all nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, we should be heading back as well. See you tomorrow Hope!" Ken ran off after waving at him.

Wesley facepalmed, "Yeah, we should follow that idiot. Later Hope." Wesley followed.

"Laters!" Leina ran off as well, finally disbanding the group. With a small smile, Hope walked away towards his home. Unbeknownst to him, a new feeling had taken root in his heart. The same feeling as Ken's; Perseverance.

And by that, the day of reunions is over.

* * *

 **Sorry for the slight delay, this chapter is longer than I anticipated. Aaaaand this chapter took a full turn to fantasy-ism. (Is that even a word?) Or is it supernatural-ism? Still, I'll try to keep it as logical as possible. That's my main concept after all. Either way, I need those tasty reviews! It really helps me out a lot!  
**  
**Also, it's kinda late, but hooray for 13k views! You guys are the best! * _hugs*_ But yeah, thanks for sticking up to this point. I _really_ appreciate it. But enough blabbering. So as always, I will see you ** on **the next chapter. Good night!**


	18. Confrontation

**Just a short update on our favorite duo's situation. Hope you enjoy this follow-up!**

* * *

"Nick! What the hell just happened!?" Judy ran up to Nick, clearly distressed on the sudden disappearance of the tigers.

"I… I don't know… _what_?" He just stood there in silence, mouth agape.

"Nick!" Judy tried to snap him out of his trance.

He shook his head before regaining his composure, "Sorry. Anyways, onto the bigger problem, let's check out the house first." He suggested.

"Okay." She nodded as they began moving towards the house warily. Arriving at the porch, Nick leaned over the door, trying to hear on what's inside before breaking in.

"I don't know…shouldn't we wait for backup to come before doing whatever it is that you're doing? It's not like they could run away in this current situation." Judy asked hesitantly in a hushed tone.

"That's true. Alright, let's secure the area while we're at it then."

Both of them left the porch again and examined the exterior of the abandoned house, with Judy specifically checking the white van parked on the outskirts. She noted down everything she found interesting before going inside the van. She didn't expect it to be empty, though, clearly they are dealing with experienced criminals. Meanwhile, Nick was exploring the outskirts of the house quietly but thoroughly. He found that the building only has one entrance, which was the front door. There was no backdoor or anything of the like, and he thought he'd found a cellar on this kind of houses. The coast was obviously clear so Nick went back to where Judy was.

"Nothing's out of the ordinary, and I don't sense any traps being placed here either." He said after arriving at the van.

"Good work. As for me…I can't find anything inside the vehicle as well. They were really prepared for this, I guess. But I'll see if I can track its plate number once we're back at the station." Judy replied sternly.

"And speaking of which, why is our backup taking so long to arrive? I know we're outside of town, but come on."

"Don't worry, they'll be here any minute now. Why don't we ask Clawhauser? That'll sort things out."

"No, I'll stay here. Who knows what they'll do if we don't keep our eyes on them?"

"Hmm, good point. Okay, I'll be right back."

She sprinted towards their cruiser while Nick went into an alert at the van. It was pretty far away so it took her a while before arriving. She opened the car's door and went straight to use the radio, only to found out that it wasn't working.

_"Huh? Did it break or something?"_

She tried to fix the receiver by shaking and slightly tapping it but it was all for naught, as the radio wasn't better than it was before.

_"Well this is weird…it was working just now."_ Judy rubbed her chin in confusion, trying to make out on what's happening to the device.

_"Let's try calling Clawhauser…"_ She took out her phone and went to call the cheetah but was taken aback by the absence of a reception on her phone. _"No way! I'm positively sure we had reception when coming here. What the heck is happening? First the radio, now the phone? This can't be just a coincidence…"_

She shook her head and went to test the radio one more time but it really wasn't working, so she gave up on it entirely. She sighed and left the car, heading back towards her partner in a hurry.

_"I just hope our backup will arrive in time. I don't like this feeling I'm having…"_

She finally caught up with Nick as she puffed from exhaustion.

"Why were you running? Did someone catch sight of you?" He asked warily.

"No… It's our radio. They aren't working! I couldn't contact Clawhauser because of that…"

"What? Are you sure? Maybe it just needed a good whack before it starts working again."

"Believe me, I did. I also tried to call him through my phone, but here's the weird part. There was no reception!"

"Calm down Fluff. That is weird, I'll admit, but there must be a logical explanation for it."

Judy took a deep breath. "Okay, you might be right. But we can't just stand here doing nothing! There must be something we can do…"

"Well… I did found something inside the van while you were away." He said before turning back and opening the van's door. Judy peeked over his shoulder curiously and saw him picking up a case.

"Here it is." He brought the container to her.

"Where did you find this? I've looked all over the van but didn't find anything." She asked while examining the case.

"Yeah, it's pretty concealed in the darkness. I guess having night vision do have its use after all." He said braggingly, "Anyways, look at what's inside."

Judy nodded and opened the case.

She gasped a little, "Is this a gun!? The real one? I thought the mayor had forbidden ownership of these? Even the ones at the ZPD never used it aside in certain situations!"

"That's what I've been thinking. How did they get their hands on this? They must have some sort of a connection with someone that have access to these weapons… That, or they got it from other means that we don't know of, but I highly doubt it."

"Still... I can't believe they have something like this." She picked up the gun and inspected it thoroughly. The details of a real handgun were all there. There's no way it could be a fake one so that crosses out that thought out of the way.

"In any case, I'm gonna hold on to this until we get back from…whatever the hell is happening." He took the gun and strapped it onto his side.

"So…what are we supposed to do now?"

He only gave a shrug as a reply. She frowned a little before letting a small sigh. She then turned her attention to the abandoned house, hoping for their backup to arrive soon. Unexpected to her, she saw a pitch black figure standing in front of the house; a figure of something she has never seen before.

"Uh, Nick? Who, or, what is that...?" She asked while pointing towards the thing she's seeing.

"Hmm?" He took off his gaze from his phone and followed her paw. He squinted his eyes to get a better view of the thing, but it was all black. "Whoa, what the heck!? When did that get here!? I didn't see anyone coming here earlier..." He kept his gaze at the mysterious figure as he said that.

"I don't know, but we can't have civvies here. Let's ask them to leave."

"Alright, you go first." He said with a smirk. She frowned again before going towards the figure. The figure slowly became distorted as they came closer until it became nothing but darkness.

"Wha...what the hell!?" Judy stopped her tracks with a scream, effectively gaining the creature's attention. It snapped its head towards them, revealing a set of yellow eyes that glowed brightly amongst its black body.

"I've never seen any animal like this before...is this some sort of a new species...?" She mumbled under her breath, "Either way, you're currently in the middle of a police business, sir. I have to kindly ask you to leave this place." She said sternly.

The creature did not comply, instead, it crouched and set on all fours and started moving towards them slowly, with a blank expression.

"Sir, are you okay?" She tried to question the creature further but nothing came out of it. No signs, no sounds, _nothing_. It was still creeping towards them in an unnatural way, it was...otherworldly, to say the least.

"Sir...? I kindly ask you to back away… Sir!?" She raised her tone as the creature started picking up its pace. She quickly took her tranq gun and aimed it at the being, "Sir, this is your last chance to stop!"

The creature paid no heed to her and kept walking which in turn turned into a run. With having no other options, Judy shot a dart at the creature. It halted for a short time before the duo saw dart being absorbed into the thing's body.

"What the fuck!?" Nick exclaimed before picking up his and shot another dart at the creature. Just like the last time, the dart was absorbed after a time. A horrified look was plastered on both of their faces as a distorted smile began to appear on the creature's face. It started picking up its pace again; faster this time.

"Gah!" Judy yelped as the creature lunged at her without warning, which threw her on the ground. "Nick! Use that pistol you found earlier!" She exclaimed as she struggled to get up on her feet. The creature was carefully stalking her, readying for another lunge.

Just as Judy predicted, the creature threw itself at her direction again so she swiftly stepped to the side. "Nick, now!"

"On it!" Nick aimed the pistol onto the creature's now-vulnerable head and fires a barrage of shots that created an ear-blasting noise followed by screams from inside the building. It was no match for the weapon's strength; the creature began convulsing on the ground before dissipating slowly into thin air, the eerie smile was still etched onto its face as it did. The two took time adjusting their breaths over the sudden onslaught; they were _not_ prepared for this.

"Holy hell…what…what the hell was that!?" Nick tried not to panic but it clearly wasn't working.

"Don't ask me?! I'm as confused as you are!" She retorted. "…but I'm glad that's over. My fur's still at its end, though…I don't want to encounter _that_ again, whatever that thing was."

Nick took a deep sigh, "How are you doing? Did it hurt you anywhere?"

"Oh, just a few scratches here and there. Nothing too bad."

"But wow, this gun really packs a punch. No wonder the mayor wanted to ban these." He remarked in awe over the pistol before reloading it.

"Anyways, though, what's taking them so long? I heard someone screamed in there for Pete's sake!"

Sirens could be heard in the distance not long after she made that comment.

"Well speak of the devil."

Soon the place became flooded with police vehicles in time with their chief standing in the middle of the mass.

"I take it you've cornered our suspects for you to be standing out here?" Chief Bogo asked in a firm and serious tone.

"Yes, sir. We were waiting for reinforcements to arrive before we begin apprehending them." Judy replied in a similar manner.

"I see. I suppose they are inside the house currently?"

"That's right. Although we haven't checked personally, I'm one hundred percent sure that they're in there." She said confidently. Nick only stared at the building the whole time, thinking of something.

The chief nodded before giving orders to the rest of the group to seize the building. A rhino and a hippo officers came to the porch first, bringing out their tranq gun before slamming the door down, yelling a loud 'Freeze!' as they come in contact with the suspects. They have finally been captured. _Again._

One by one the convicts were taken inside the police vehicles, this time with no retaliation. It seems like everything went smooth, Olivier Landrieu was finally behind bars again. His henchman made no comment of their mysterious rescuer as they didn't have much information on them to begin with.

Judy was still checking the van while Nick stayed outside before the chief came up to them.

"Hopps, Wilde, you've done well. You can call it a day now; we'll take it from here."

"But sir! We haven't inspected everything in here yet! And I…I failed to apprehend the two perpetrators, sir!" Judy pleaded.

"Judy, there was nothing we could do. I couldn't do anything either…" Nick made a bitter face.

"You've done what you can. And if it was like anything Wilde said, then there was nothing you could do. I personally have my doubts about Wilde's claim, but without any evidence, I can't put up any thoughts on it. But either way, we have successfully executed our original case, which was apprehending Olivier Landrieu. So by that, I officially resign you from this case. You two may leave now."

The two stared at the buffalo in disbelief before nodding. They saluted and went towards their cruiser, trying to avoid the lessening crowd. Their vehicle came into view. They went inside while still staring at the scene on the distance.

"I still can't believe we lost them like that…" Judy said weakly.

"But hey, at least we caught our perps. That's a win in my book. Or should I say in everybody's book." Nick's signature smirk came on after he said that.

"Heh, right." She punched the fox's arm playfully. "So…let's see…" Judy took out her phone casually, "…oh! The reception's back!" She exclaimed.

"Cool, now let's call the whole world and tell them we caught the criminals again!" He teased her more with his usual smirk.

"Call…? Oh yeah, I was going to call Ken! But…" She directed her gaze onto the time showed there; 12 AM. "It's midnight already. Wow. I'm pretty sure they're already sleeping, so I'm just gonna call him tomorrow morning." She slipped her phone into her pocket and finally ignited the car. She then took off, leaving the scene to Chief Bogo and co.

Unbeknownst to them, a silhouette of a person stood behind the road, smiling profusely while watching everything they have done.

* * *

**And by that, the current arc finally ends! I had a lot of fun introducing all the characters that appeared in the past 4 chapters or so and it's going to be more plot-y from now on. I hope. Either way, reviews are always welcome! So anyways, as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	19. Rendezvous

_Riiiiing! Riiiiing!_

"…urgh…" The sound of a phone ringing slowly woke me up from my sleep.

_Riiiiing! Riiiiing!_

"…huh...?" I reached over for my phone, trying to keep my eyes open from the drowsiness. I answered the call and put the phone over my ears without looking at the caller.

"...hello?" I said weakly.

 _"Good morning Ken!"_ Judy's voice could be heard from the other end, _"Oh, did I just wake you up? Sorry!"_ A flustered voice came out, "But Ken, d _on't you have school today?"_

"Judy...it's the weekend. There's no school on weekends."

_"Oh, right, haha. Well I'm just checking if you're alright. How's your friends?"_

"They're still sleeping. We kinda slept in late last night so we're pretty bummed out."

_"I see. We're going to patrol around town a bit. We had a rough night yesterday too..."_

"O-okay... I'll be seeing you later then?"

_Definitely! Laters!"_

*click*

I hung up and yawned a little bit before getting up. I immediately saw Wesley and Leina sleeping at the corner of the room on top of an air mattress I bought a few days ago. I expected it'd come in handy as I've slept on one of those a few times as well. But with that out of the way, I went off from my bed and stretched my body for a while before opening the balcony door, letting the morning's fresh air in.

 _"What should I do today…?"_ I wondered, staring into the distance. Well, to the wall in front of me to be exact, but my mind was elsewhere.

A yawn broke my thoughts and I looked behind me to see Leina waking up, his fur's looking all scruffy. He landed his gaze at me as I smiled at him.

"Good morning!" I greeted.

"…morning." He replied before getting up himself. He immediately made a beeline towards me as he did.

"How was your night?"

"Could certainly be better."

"Heh, that's so you."

I laughed over the casual banter with Leina only scratching his head as a result. I went inside again and picked up my phone to see the time. 9 AM. Yep, we were exhausted alright. I don't usually wake up this late due to me being used to waking up early in the morning because of school and all that stuff. But I was really exhausted to wake up at this time.

"Hey Leina, why don't you wake Wesley up? I'm gonna go take a shower in the meantime." I shouted over to Leina.

"Alright!" He shouted back before going inside without forgetting to close the door behind him.

I then proceeded to walk my closet to get my clothes. I picked my usual attire which consisted of a blue and white checkered shirt with simple black jeans. I then went to the bathroom while carrying said clothes, ready to wash my weariness away.

"Ken!? Hope's calling you on the phone!" I could hear Leina shouting after quite some time. I quickly turned the faucet off and dried myself with a towel hanging on the rack beside me. I dressed up with the clothes I brought and promptly went outside the bathroom.

"I'm here...!?" Leina was shaking Wesley furiously by the shoulders as soon as I come out from the bathroom but they immediately stopped and both smiled at me. "...what were you two doing...? Nevermind, where's my phone!?"

"Here!" Wesley quickly stood up and gave me my phone and I could see Hope was still dialing. "I'll be in the bathroom!" He hastily shut said door. What the heck happened while I was in there...? I shook my head then quickly opened the balcony and accepted the call.

"Hey, Hope! What's up?"

_"Good morning Ken! I was wondering if you wanna eat breakfast together."_

"That's a great idea! And I have the perfect place to go as well."

_"Oh, you're talking about Misty's?"_

"Yep! It's just too good to pass up."

_"Heh, okay. I'll be there at eleven. See you then!"_

"See ya!"

*click*

I hung up once again and sighed a bit. I've never thought to have such caring friends here. Let's just hope I won't have to put up with that pain again. What exactly was that, though? It felt so surreal... But nevermind that, I have a breakfast to attend! I went inside and locked the door behind me.

"Ready up Leina! We're meeting up with Hope at Misty's!" I said excitingly.

"Oh, that place again? You sure have taken a liking to it." he chuckled.

"I can't help it, though! Their blueberry pie is so delish!"

"I thought you don't like eating blueberries? Heck, any fruit in general?"

"I don't know…for some reason I like blueberries now. Not that I'm complaining."

"…anyways, when are we going?"

"As soon as we're ready of course. Prep everything you need or want to bring, just in case."

"Alright!" Leina ran up to his bulky bag and began sorting stuff out of it. At the same time, Wesley came out of the bathroom, all freshened up from the morning haze. He was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, though. Did he not bring a change?

"Bah, I forgot to bring my spare clothes." He mumbled. I can't say I'm not surprised _._

"Didn't I tell to bring basic supplies? How could you forget to bring an extra set of clothes?" Leina asked puzzlingly.

"Maybe you should've been more specific!" He retorted back.

"And now it's suddenly my fault." He shrugged, "Anyways, I'll be in the bathroom if you need me." He hurriedly went inside.

I stared at the raccoon as he nonchalantly walked towards his backpack which was as bulky as Leina's. He produced a smaller satchel from inside and began fitting stuff into it. Was he always carrying that…? I really need to stop thinking about his ways.

I then went to prepare my things. I took my scarf lying on the bedside table and wore it, as always. I also packed my earphones as well as other stuff. Preparation is a good thing.

Leina finally finished showering and walked out of the bathroom. He was wearing a different clothing from before, which was a black and red jacket over a white t-shirt paired with simple blue trousers.

"Wow, it feels so…different with this new body." He remarked, specifically looking at his fur.

"You'll get used to it. And I think Wesley here already did." I made a smirk to him.

"Always tease the small one." He let a small shrug on which we giggled on.

"Anyways, hurry up and get ready, we're almost past the meeting time." I said while looking at my phone.

"Gotcha!" He quickly rummaged through his bag and stuffed some things into his pockets. "Alright, I'm ready!"

I blinked, "That was fast."

"Yeah. And let's not question that either." Wesley added.

"Now you're making me look bad!" He pouted.

"Okay, okay. Let's go." I took the lead and stepped outside from the room with the others following suit. I locked the door and started walking away towards our destination.

* * *

Our trip to the café mostly contained idle chatters about ourselves before we got sent into this world, and all of the stories always ended in some sort of awkwardness before the one of the other started to change topics about something else. I kinda participated in a bit but I never really talked about my family and the such, it…hurts me when I talk about them since I'm not really close with my parents. On the other hand, even after being friends for so long, Leina never talked about his family, like at all. I thought he'd talk about them now but he never did. I guess it's as painful as mine, huh?

And Wesley…I never thought his family would be so constricting like mine. It must've been tough to always be pressured into getting high grades all the time… Even my parents don't do to that extent. I really do sympathize with him. The thing is that he let that out pretty…easily. I thought he was the cold and calculating type of guy, but I guess you can't really judge a book by its cover.

We were so absorbed in our conversation that we've forgotten where we were going in the first place, so I quickly reminded them and we promptly fastened our steps. With that in mind, we finally arrived at the café, albeit a little late.

We entered the building in turn with me being the first one. I tried scouting a table but I immediately saw Hope sitting in one of the tables near the right side of the corridor. I smiled at him but he only returned a frown at me. Uh oh…

As the others went inside I signaled them to go to where Hope was seating and then we walked there together. Our delay was kinda inexcusable.

"I hope you know that you're late by fifteen minutes." Hope said without even looking at any source of time.

"Well…let's just say we talked a little bit too much." I explained, smiling sheepishly. I turned to Leina and Wesley; the former was doing what I did and the latter was…expressionless. Did something happen?

Hope interrupted us with a sigh, "Well don't worry about that too much, have a seat!" His face became cheerful again.

"Oh, right." I scratched my head and sat down with the others having a seat as well.

"Well, first things first, what do you wanna eat?"

"I'll have blueberry pie, as always."

"I'll just have some cheesecake like yesterday." Leina mentioned.

"…I'll have the same as Leina's." Wesley spoke up.

"And for the drinks?"

"Regular coffee for me." I said

"Huh…I'll have iced tea if that's available." Leina added.

"I'll have coffee, just like Ken."

"Okay then. I'll be right back." Hope stood up and went to the counter with the usual tigress stationed behind it. Hope came back shortly after ordering our meals and sat on his seat again.

"Now that's out of the way, let's talk about something interesting to pass the time, seeing how you were late on coming here by just 'talking a little bit too much'."

"Just let it go already, jeez. We already said our sorry for Pete's sake." Wesley said irritatingly.

"Well…how about your encounter with the…black thing last night?" Leina immediately changed the subject.

"Hmm. I only saw it from a distance. But that thing…was on all fours. It was nothing like I've ever seen before, apart from the savage animals cause by the Nighthowlers drug, but that thing was a different thing altogether."

"That's really freaky... How did you even meet the thing?" I asked.

"I'm not so sure either since Chris was in front of me at that time. Maybe it just popped out from the ground? I dunno…"

"God, don't make me try to imagine those things!" Leina yelped.

"Either way, that's all that I saw yesterday. Certainly not a good memory to keep."

"I can see that...but still, that doesn't explain the creature much. Even Chris only knows little of it." Wesley said.

"Hmm..." I began thinking about the creature even more, so much that I got lost in my thoughts. Again. I really should stop spacing out so quickly. And I didn't even try!

As I was swimming in my thoughts I heard the café door open that kinda snapped me out. I turned to it and saw Nick and Judy walking inside, much to my surprise. They looked around the shop before spotting us. They made a similar expression as I did just now. Judy waved at us and I waved back, nudging the others to do so. She went to the counter while Nick walked towards us. Oh boy.

"Hey, Nick! What a coincidence meeting you here." I greeted him with a warm smile.

"Heyo Sport! And likewise." He smiled back, "And the others are here as well. What a surprise." His smile turned into a smirk, like always.

"Hello!"

"Huh, hi."

"Morning!"

Leina, Wesley and Hope greeted respectively.

"What is this, a parade? I'm just your normal police officer here." He said teasingly.

"You could say that." I replied with a smirk slowly turning on my face. He didn't respond and quickly sat next to me.

"So how are you guys doing? I'm really tired, that's for sure." He sighed.

"We're doing fine, well at least for me. What made you so tired though?"

"Didn't Carrots already told you this morning?"

"Uh, no? She did call me but she only mentioned a 'rough' night you guys had."

"I'll let Carrots do the explaining, I'm too tired to even get my body straight." He slumped down onto the table as he said that. What the heck happened exactly to make Nick this tired? I shook my head and looked over at Judy which was already en route towards us.

"Hey everyone!" The bunny waved at us and we awkwardly waved back, not sure what to do with Nick that's lying half-body onto the table. Judy immediately took notice of this and elbowed nick on the back. The result was… Let's just say Nick _writhed_ in pain.

"C-Carrots… W-why…" He fell from the table and curled into a fetal position. That must've hurt a lot…

"No sleeping on the job!" She said angrily. I looked around and thankfully we were the only customers at the time so nobody saw this little "scene". Well, apart from the workers here, but that's irrelevant.

It took a while before Nick recovered from the sudden assault from Judy, which I'll admit I didn't see coming, but holy hell that came out of nowhere. Damn, Judy. Totally don't wanna mess with her.

"A-anyways… Carrots, c-can you explain to them about that t-thing we saw last night…?" Nick tried to keep his cool but it clearly wasn't working.

Judy sighed, "If you insist." She sat down beside Nick and Hope, which made the latter really excited for some reason. "Okay, so this may sound crazy or downright unbelievable, but we encountered something...unnatural last night." The suspense began to rose among us, "When we have finally cornered our perps, I noticed a black figure standing near the crime scene. It was really out of place; we didn't even know it was there! We decided to investigate the strange figure, thinking it was just an ordinary mammal on the wrong time and in the wrong place. Oh, how wrong we were."

A black figure? She couldn't mean the same thing Hope and Chris saw, could it?

"Question. Does this 'figure' walk on all fours?" Wesley spoke up.

"Well it originally stood on two legs, but as soon as it saw us it immediately set on fours. If that isn't freaky enough, then you should've seen what it did after." Nick answered.

"...what did it do?" Leina gulped.

"It just…lunged at me without any warnings. Its upper limbs became very unnaturally claw-like; one swipe from that and I'm done for. I got thrown onto the grown but thankfully I only sustained minor injuries. I got up and dodged its other assault, which made it vulnerable for a brief time. I quickly ordered Nick to shoot the figure with a pistol we've found at the scene and thankfully it was more effective than our tranq gun." Hope surprised us with a gasp as she said that and we all turned to him.

"What is it!?" I asked warily.

"Did you say you found a pistol? An actual one!?" His voice sounds panicked.

"Yeah. That's one of the things we didn't solve, along with the two culprits that have escaped."

"I can't believe they held an actual firearm all this time…" Hope murmured.

"And what's the problem with that?" Wesley asked sarcastically.

"Firearms are banned by the mayor! You can't carry those around anymore, let alone get hold of them!"

"Whoa, no need to get so fiery about that. Firearm in our world is really common, so naturally I assumed the same here."

I calmed Hope down before speaking, "Sorry, but I really despise guns…" Hope lowered his head. I'm sure he had witnessed something terrible with it…

"Let's…just continue our discussion." Leina spoke quietly and everyone silently nodded.

"…continuing where I left off; after Nick shot the creature in the head multiple times it finally dissipated like it was never there in the first place. Combined with the time we were currently on; it really was like a horror story." Judy shuddered.

"But hey, at least we solved the case." Nick made a smirk

"Got _resigned_ from the case, mind you." She countered.

"My point still stands."

"…either way, that's all what we experienced."

"I see. So you had the same encounter as Hope then." I said, rubbing my chin.

"Same as Hope?" She slowly turned her head towards him.

"I…I saw the same creature as you did last night, although we didn't confront with it directly, which I'm thankful for."

"Whoa. What did you do?"

"Run, of course. What else could be done at that time?"

"Greet and make friends with it? I dunno." Wesley made another sarcastic remark. Since when did he go the sarcastic route? I saw Nick making a doubtful face while I was eyeing Wesley. Did he say something wrong?

"Wait, _we_? Who went with you last night?" Nick asked questioningly. Oh shit, we can't reveal Chris and Ashley to them!

"Oh, er, I was with Ken and the others, if that's what you're asking."

"Hmm… Do you remember the time of your encounter with it?"

"The time…? I think it was around 10 PM, if I recall correctly."

"I see…"

A brief silence ensued before the waiter broke the tension by bringing our meals to us.

"…forget about it. Let's eat!" Nick announced as the waiter put the variety of foods onto the table. After making sure we didn't screw up by exposing their identity we finally dug in. The pie was delicious, as always. And it seems like everybody was enjoying their meals as well. I hope Nick really do forget about it, I don't wanna betray our trust over this.

"Ooh, That's the stuff!" I said happily as I finished my meal.

"It really is delicious." Hope remarked. "But all in all, it's really nice talking to you officers. I hope we can meet up like this again." He smiled.

"Definitely! Oh, and I'll pay for your meals. My treat." Judy grinned.

"Really!? Thanks!" I thanked them happily. They're truly the best of friends.

"No probs! We don't always do this, so why not?"

"That's true." Wesley spoke up. Goddammit Wesley, why do you gotta be so rude?

"Heh, I like you." Nick replied to him. Oh boy, things just got worse.

"Well, we have to get going now. Goodbye Nick, Judy!" I stood up and waved at them before going to the door and stepped outside.

"Be careful!" I could hear Judy shouting from inside.

The others soon followed me, leaving Judy and Nick behind. But wow, that was a close call. One slip and we could end up in jail. Definitely not a fan of that.

"So…where to next?" Wesley asked, still keeping his eyes on the store.

I casually took my phone out and looked at the time. It was a little past twelve; we still have a lot of time. Hmm…

"How about visiting Chris and Ashley?" I suggested after a lot of thinking.

"Visiting them, huh? That's a pretty good idea, we can get to know each other a little more!" Leina sounded happy.

"I'm down whenever." Wesley said.

"Sure, why not?" Hope shrugged.

"Okay then. Let's head to the station. Hope, you lead the way." I grinned at him.

"Alright. They're living in the Rainforest District last time I heard, so let's see…we're currently at Herd Street, and the nearest train station is located near Acacia Street." He said without even looking on a map. Wow, I've lived here for two weeks already but I don't even remember the city's street names. Nice job Ken.

"Metro Station is just several meters to the south. We'll be there in no time."

"Neat. Lead the way then." Wesley grinned.

We finally started moving, leaving the café behind and headed towards said station with Hope's help. More idle chatters were made on the way, which was pretty amusing considering a number of absurd topics Leina was bringing.

We arrived at the station without much hassle. The inside of the station was overall crowded, but not crowded enough to keep us from boarding the train. I followed Hope closely from behind, trying not to get separated from the pack of mammals inside the station.

Well, at least I tried.

"Hope!" I tried to call him among the crowd, but there were simply too many animals loitering around. Where could they go on this current situation…?

 _"…the ticket booth!"_ The idea suddenly popped in my mind. I looked around and saw the booth at the far end. _"There they are!"_ I noticed them grouping up at that area. I ran carefully towards my friends, trying not to bump into anyone.

Well, at least I tried. _Again_.

"Ow…" I groaned in pain from after bumping into somebody. I looked over and saw a doe knocked on the ground. She looked like about my age and she was wearing a simple green blouse and brown pants.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I apologized and helped her get up while picking the clipboard that she dropped from the collision

"Oh, no! It was my fault!" The deer quickly brushed herself off and bowed in apology.

"I was the one at fault, really." I smiled at her, "Here, you dropped it." I gave her the clipboard back.

"Thank you so much!" She bowed repeatedly again. Gosh, this is so embarrassing…

"Hey, no problem!" I scratched the back of my head, "I'm in a bit of a hurry here so yeah, bye!" I waved before regaining my pace again. I can't shake this feeling off of me though… Was it from her…?

"Where did you went off to just now, huh Ken?" Hope asked demandingly after I reached my friends. Here comes the bossy attitude…

"I got separated, duh. What about the tickets?" I tried to change the subject.

"It's here. We just need to board the next train." Hope explained.

"Ah, alright." I said, still puffing from all that running.

"Well speak of the devil, it's here." Wesley commented shortly as our train arrived at the station.

"Well. That was fast." Leina remarked.

"Okay, enough chit-chat. Let's go!" Hope pushed us from behind. What the heck.

"I can walk, you know." I promptly went inside the train as the others. We found our seats rather easily, despite all the crowd. I guess the transit's really effectively fast, huh?

"I'm gonna inform them that we're coming to see them." I said as I took out my phone before dialing Chris' number.

"Yes, go do that." Hope chuckled. That's not even remotely funny.

…

…

 _"Hello? This is Chris speaking."_ I heard Chris' voice from the other in a rather polite manner.

"Hey, Chris! It's Ken here! Me and the others are going to visit you today. We're currently on the train and we'll be there soon!"

_"Oh hello, Ken. I see. I'll go pick you guys up if that's the case if you don't mind."_

"No, that'll be great since we don't even know where you live, heh."

_"Okay. I'll see you all later."_

*click*

He hung up before I could say my goodbyes. I think he's really humorless… Eh, can't blame him.

"I assume he's going to pick us up?" Wesley asked right after the call ended. You're so unpredictable. No wonder Nick took a liking to you…

"Yeah. So it's pretty much going to be a smooth ride until we get there."

"Hooray for aesthetics!" Leina cheered for absolutely no reason.

"Uh, what?" Hope asked puzzlingly.

" _Exactly._ "

"Pfft…" I broke out a laugh before the others joined in too. The heck was he trying to say?

Meaningless conversations aside, I got suddenly reminded of the doe I bumped into earlier. She seemed...out of place. Maybe it's just me, though. But this feeling I'm having isn't making things any better for me. Is...is she in danger? Nah, no way, that's Ashley's job to tell if people is in danger, not me. I don't have that sort of power. My perk isn't very informative either, what the heck does an assassin do anyway? Well, besides from killing people? I don't want that kind of power. I know I shouldn't be complaining about this, but still...

"...en! Hey Ken, are you there!?"

"H-huh?" I snapped out from my thoughts.

"How can you even space out at this time?" I could see Wesley facepalming.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"We've arrived, Ken. Like, 3 minutes ago." Leina explained. Me and my space-outs...goddammit.

"Shit, sorry! Let's get off then!" I quickly stood up and walked to the exit. We finally got off the train and exited the station. Countless amounts of huge trees suddenly sprang into view along with the unexplainable amount of rain pouring down from the sky. Correction, _pouring down from the countless amounts of big sprinklers hanging from different directions_. It didn't pour everywhere, though, so that's a thing. Still, this is so much different from Savanna Central...and Tundratown.

"Over here!"

I looked over to the source of the shouting. It was Chris! He was carrying an umbrella and…another two?

"Hey, there's Chris! Let's go!" I said while pointing at him before breaking into a run. He was wearing a red flannel and dark blue jeans, which was completely different from before. Still a better fashion sense than Nick's though…

"Here, take these!" He gave us the two umbrellas and we quickly retract it. It was enough for two people per umbrella, considering our body sizes. Chris is out of the question, though; he is much bigger than us so he had to carry one for himself.

"Thanks!"

"Don't mention it, I figured this would be your first time here in Rainforest District so I came prepared." He said in his usual stern voice. "Anyways, let's head to my house. It's located on the outskirts of this district so pretty near from where we are."

"Neat. Okay then, lead the way." I said as I looked at the scenery. It was amazingly tidy, much to my surprise.

Chris finally started moving and we followed closely from behind. Not separating seems to be a good idea at this time. The scenery was absolutely beautiful everywhere we go. Not saying that the other places aren't great, but this is just…breathtaking.

I took out my phone for no reason and the first thing I saw was the time. It was currently 1:30 PM. The train ride was longer than I thought. Playing with my phone a bit, I accidentally opened the messaging app. My eyes were fixed on Nick's name on the list of recipients. I stared into it for a bit before having an idea to tell him where we currently are. Just in case…

_"hey nick, i just wanna say that i'm currently at the rainforest district. just to let you know. k bai."_

That should be enough. I closed my phone and put it away inside my pockets. Despite the constant rain here, it's not actually cold or anything. The breeze is quite nice to the skin, or should I say fur. Either way, we had no problems walking towards Chris' home even though we're squeezing our way into the umbrella's range, trying not to get a single drop of rain.

Some time later, we came across a system of sky trams. I've never actually get to ride one myself, so seeing it makes me kinda hyped at the thing.

"There are gondolas here!?" Wesley said surprisingly.

"Yep. They actually serve as a pretty good shortcut to places, if you use them correctly. Or you can just relax by enjoying the scenery when riding them." Chris explained.

"Wow. I've always been fascinated with how these things work…" I muttered softly.

"Oh, and speaking of sky trams, I heard that Judy got attacked by a savage jaguar here while looking for clues on the Nighthowlers. It ended up being a crucial clue to her case." Hope commented.

"Wow, really? Man, I swear she could do anything without breaking a sweat." Wesley remarked.

"Yep. Have I ever mentioned that she and Nick are my favorite cops? Well, they are!" Hope exclaimed cheerfully.

"Yes, we hear you." Leina chuckled. "Oh! Why don't we take a picture together right here?"

"In this rain? No thanks." Wesley refused.

"Aww, c'mon! It'll be short, I promise!" Leina nagged him more.

"Alright, jeez." He shrugged in defeat. Wow, Leina could actually force him to do something? Nice job Leina!

"I mean, why not?"

"Sure, let's do it!"

Hope took out his phone and we positioned ourselves near the trams. He brought his phone upwards, "Smile for the camera!"

*flash!*

A snapshot sound could be heard from his phone.

"Lemme see!" Leina quickly grabbed Hope's phone, "Wow! Nice job Hope!" He gave him a thumbs up before giving his phone back.

"Ugh, finally. I'm getting soaked from this rain." Wesley groaned.

"Heh, let's go then." Chris continued his pace and we promptly followed him again.

 _"I'll be sure to ride the sky trams sometimes…"_ I thought to myself, determined in my decisions.

We finally arrived at Chris' home. It actually looked like a glorified shack than an actual house. Then again, I've only seen these type of houses ever since we arrived here.

"I thought your house was bigger than…this." Wesley commented.

"This was the only house here that I could afford." Chris said bluntly.

"Oh. Uh… _Ack!"_ I could see Leina elbowing him on the side that made him wince in pain. Can't say I'm not surprised.

"Anyways! May we come in?" Leina asked politely.

"Of course." Chris turned back and opened the door, revealing an even more shack-esque interior. But it was really neat and somewhat cozy.

"Welcome back!" A voice shouted from the back of the house. It must be Ashley.

"We're home!" He shouted back. We entered the house and saw Ashley playing with her phone on the kitchen counter. I guess old habits dies hard, huh? We quickly settled on the nearby couch in the living room. But the rooms are all connected, save for the bedrooms, so I can't really say.

"Hey, everyone! Wait, I'm gonna go make something for you guys.." I could see her taking a small box on a shelf in the kitchen. I assume she's making us something to drink, so I didn't pay much attention to her.

I saw Wesley getting something out of his satchel. It was…a snack?

"Here, snacks for everyone." He took a snack one after another out from his bag. How much did he actually bring!?

"Uh…thanks?" Hope had the same reaction as I did as we reluctantly took the snacks Wesley gave. Leina, on the other hand, took it happily. I'm not sure if I should be afraid or be happy in his state…

Meanwhile, I could smell a faint hint of jasmine from the back of the house. I guess Ashley was making tea after all. I heard water pouring and soon Ashley came with a tray full of cups that were filled with tea. The scent of jasmine wafts through the air, making a wonderful sensation inside my head.

"The tea's done! Head right in!" She announced gleefully.

I took one of the cups and took a sip. Oh wow, it's tasty!

"Mmm...it tastes wonderful!" Leina commented enthusiastically.

"Can't argue with that. It really is good." Hope remarked.

"Agreed." Wesley took another sip as he said that.

"So…why exactly do you want to visit us?" Chris started asking.

"I thought we could hang out and probably throw some conversations, I dunno. I don't wanna waste the day by staying in my apartment."

"Neither do we." Wesley added.

"Alright. Now that you're here, though, what are you going to discuss about?"

"Hmm…"

"How about the blackish thing we encountered last night? You should know more about it, right?" Hope asked.

"Yeah, those things attacked Nick and Judy last night! Thankfully they had something to defend themselves so they defeated it quite easily."

"Wait, you know those two?" Ashley suddenly asked me.

"Uh, yeah. I've known them since I was first brought here."

"That's…really surprising. Given those two were the ones who cornered us and all."

"Whoa, what!? They were the ones who caught up to you!? Wow, they're really are something alright."

"Yeah. I really wasn't expecting to get caught, though, but it seems we didn't prepare ourselves enough."

"I see… Well, in any case, I'm glad we talked about this." I nodded.

"Anyways, assuming we encountered one of those, what should we do?" Wesley changed the subject.

"Honestly? Run as far as you can as soon as you see those things." Ashley suggested.

"That's a good idea, yes, but what if there's nowhere to run? Can we protect ourselves from it?"

"From what I've experienced, there's one way you could attack them, which is to use firearms." Chris explained.

"Firearms? Where heck can we get one of those? And didn't someone say that those are banned in Zootopia? But nevermind that, how do you know that we can use firearms on them?" Wesley argued.

"I used to have a pistol which I specifically use only for Anomalies, but the recent events made me lose it, along with my white van."

"You have a pistol!? A real pistol!?" Hope exclaimed rather nervously.

"I _had_ one. Not sure why you're stressing over it than the van, though. But as I said, I lost it inside my white van, which I'm pretty sure the police have gotten their hands on it. Either way, that's all I know about eliminating them. Do tell us if you know another way to defeat them, it'll really help us."

"It must've been the one Nick was talking about…" Hope muttered softly.

"Ehh, don't count on it. I don't want to meet those things to begin with. But in case we do, of course." I said casually.

"Thanks." Chris made a smile. I smiled back and leaned back onto the couch, taking another sip of the tea in the process. We talked about random topics for a while, one of them including how they got this place in particular. All in all, we had a lot of fun hanging out.

* * *

This is my second day here in Zootopia, and it couldn't have gotten much better! Ken took me to a lot of places, like here in the Rainforest District. It's really gorgeous overall. We've just finished talking about self-defense against those things in case we meet them but we didn't exactly get anything useful from that. Still, more information is a win in my book.

"Well I think that's it for today, it's already 3 PM, holy hell." Ken suddenly spoke up.

"What? Already!?" I said distraughtly.

"Yeah. Time flies so fast… Well, it was fun while it lasted." Hope remarked before standing up.

"Oh, we're finished already?" Wesley stood up as well.

"Yeah, we can't stay here too long. You know, _reasons_." Ken stood up too. It left me, Chris and Ashley that were sitting.

"Leina, are you coming or not?" Wesley asked jokingly at me.

"I guess…" I reluctantly stood up and faced the tigers.

"Well, we'll be going now. Thanks for the hospitality! We'll definitely visit you again sometimes." Ken bowed down in respect and we did so as well.

"No sweat! Come here whenever you like, there's always enough tea for everyone." Ashley chuckled.

"Haha, okay!" Hope let out a small laugh.

"Be careful out there. You'll never know when you're gonna meet them. And if you do spot one, just run. Fight them if that's your only option, but prioritize your safety first." Chris said in a calm but serious tone.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind." Wesley said.

Chris went to the door and opened it, letting us go outside. "Here, take these. You can have it." He gave the same umbrellas to us.

"Oh, thanks!" I said happily.

"Don't mention it. Well, goodbye." He waved at us with a smile.

"Bye!" We simultaneously waved and said our goodbyes before heading off towards the station was. Unlike the other walks, this one was mostly silent. I don't know if it was because we were too enthralled by the scenery of the district or if we just didn't have any topics to talk about.

Moments later, we arrived at the sky trams again. It looked really fun to ride on, to be honest.

"Hey. You wanna ride the gondola together?" Ken suggested somewhat sheepishly.

"Are you sure? We could, but shouldn't we get going soon?" Hope asked hesitantly.

"It'll be fun, c'mon!" He pleaded more.

Hope took a sigh, "Okay, nothing's gonna stop you anyway."

"Alright!" He jumped in excitement. Wow, Ken is looking so happy. Can't blame him, though, there were no trams like these in our town so he really couldn't experience it.

"I'll go whenever." Wesley shrugged without even caring.

"Okay then, let's go!" Ken lead the way towards the dock. I was the one who held onto the railings. I'm not really into heights.

"It fits four people so we can ride together at the same time." Hope explained.

We waited for the next tram to arrive. "Here it is! Let's go!" Hope went in first and then the others followed suit with me being the last person to ride it.

"Yay!" Ken expressed himself quite giggly.

"Hey, don't make too many movements here. The tram's pretty small by itself so we don't need additional 'struggle' or else it would fall off." Hope warned.

"Ah, okay." He quickly calmed down and turned to see the view.

"It's so cool…" I remarked in awe at the landscape in front of me.

"No kidding. It's even better up here." I could see Wesley scoping around.

"You all look like little kids that just saw an ice cream for the first time. Can't blame you, though." Hope laughed.

It really was going great; the scenery, the conversation, it was all in place.

Except for this one.

"Hey, what's that sound?" I asked after hearing some faint noise on top of the gondola.

"I don't hear anything." Wesley replied.

"Me neither." Hope added.

"Huh...weird. Must be my imagination-" A pouncing noise could be heard again from above right after I finished my sentence, this time, louder. What the heck is happening!?

"Whoa!? What was that!?" Ken asked anxiously.

"I…I don't know… This has never happened before!" Hope looked panicked.

"Wait, I'll check!" Wesley said before standing up and looking over the tram's hood. "What the fuck!?" He yelped before quickly getting back into the tram.

"What is it!?" Ken asked concernedly.

"It's…it's the black thing we talked about earlier!"

"What!?" All three of us simultaneously yelled the same word.

"I'm not joking around either. I think…I think he's gonna bring the gondola us down!"

"That can't be! I'm gonna try to shake it off!" Hope went overhead and did something we couldn't see.

…

…

"ARGH!"

Hope quickly returned with a claw wound on his right arm.

"Oh God, what happened!?"

"It clawed me! That bastard…!"

"What are we going to do!?"

The gondola began to shook even more. I couldn't do anything. I could only sit there in fear. There was nothing I could do. Nothing…

I could feel my body floating. I didn't even have the courage to open my eyes. I…really couldn't do anything. It all happened too fast…

_CRASH!_

And then there was darkness.

My consciousness slowly came back into my mind. I'm not sure whether I should like or not considering the amount of pain I had after opening my eyes. The rain was pouring all over the place and I could feel a grassy land below me. I immediately saw the sky trams above me and the memories of us plummeting down suddenly flowed back. I tried to get up but the pain was unbearable. I think I've broken a few of my ribs… Wait, what about the others!?

I shook those thoughts off of me and tried my best to stand up. It took me a few tries but I eventually stood up and saw the crash site of the gondola. Clutching my shoulder in pain, I took a few wobbly steps forward, noticing the encompassing view of trees surrounding my field of view. It wasn't long before I took notice of Ken and the others lying in different directions. Ken was the most noticeable one. A beam that came from the gondola was impaling him right on his back.

This can't be happening, right? This is all dream, right? _Right?_

"K-Ken…?" I stepped closer, noticing the pool of blood under his body. I promptly detached the beam that was stuck on his body and threw it as far as my body could muster. I then slumped down beside him.

"Ken? Can you hear me? Please wake up…"

No response.

"Ken…I can't lose you again…not now…Ken!" I shook his body, trying to deny the inevitable that was right in front of me. Despite that, he didn't move an inch. I truly felt despair at that time. I couldn't think of anything. I couldn't even accept the reality in front of me.

Before I knew it, I've broken into tears while wailing loudly. I really couldn't accept it. But it was right there. The others weren't moving as well. Is this…really happening?

Is this…really the end for me?

…

…

…

_No!_

Streams of whites suddenly surged into my mind that completely covered my vision.

And then there was blank.

* * *

**Well** **holy shit that took a while to write. I think this is the longest chapter in the fiction to date. But yeah, sorry for the kind-of-cliffhanger, this chapter took way too long to write and I wasn't expecting 6.5+K words. Oh, and of course, huge thanks to you for reading this thing, I honestly couldn't have reached this far if not for your support. (Also Zootopia discord but irrelevant, irrelevant.) But anyways, as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	20. Restart

I couldn't see nor feel anything after that. Reality couldn't keep up with me. Or rather, I couldn't keep up with it. I felt like floating in nothingness, drifting away from reality itself. It felt like an eternity before I slowly regained my senses.

_Gasp_!

I inhaled for air loudly and found myself in a familiar place. I frantically looked around and realized that I was back in the sibling's house somehow. But that's not the thing took my attention the most; it was the fact that I saw my friends sitting there, talking normally, like nothing had happened. They're...alive!

But as soon as I realized that a surge of exhaustion came over my body. But my adrenaline kept me up from this unusual fatigue. What...what exactly had happened?

"Leina? Are you okay? You look a little...pale." Wesley spoke up. He must've seen my reaction.

"Wesley...are you...are you okay?" I stuttered through my words.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm okay. Is something wrong?"

"But...I watched you...w-with the others...die! We r-rode the sky tram and we w-were attacked by t-that thing!"

"What!? What are you saying? I'm feeling pretty much alive, thank you very much." Ken argued.

"But you all were there, laying lifeless on the ground after the gondola crashed! Don't you remember!?"

"Leina, calm down. Tell me what happened." Wesley was firm.

"We...we went to ride the gondola together...and...and..." My vision became blurry from the exhaustion before I could mutter the words. And before I knew, I was already unconscious.

I could slowly feel my body again. A soft material was cushioning my back, which I assume was a bed. I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was Ken sitting beside me, his eyes full of concern.

"Ken...?" I called weakly. "What happened...?"

"Leina, you're awake! Wait, I'll go get the others!" Ken rushed outside as he said that. Not long after, the rest of them were finally inside the room.

"Leina! How are you feeling!?" Wesley was the one who asked first, as well as being the most distressed one. He was really concerned for me, huh?

"I'm fine...I felt very fatigued earlier for some reason earlier but I'm feeling better now." I let out a smile. I saw him exhaling in relief. That's good, I don't want anyone to worry about me...

Wait.

That scene...was that all just a dream? It felt very real. The pain was there, and... God, I don't wanna think about this!

"Leina...are you sure you're okay? You were saying some pretty weird stuff earlier, which, to be honest, I don't take too kindly for it. I mean, you literally told us that we died! That's just downright absurd." Ken began complaining.

"Yeah...it probably was just some kind of a nightmare...let's just forget-"

"Wait. What if what you were saying was true? What if...you managed to turn back time?" Chris cut me off mid-sentence.

"...what?" Everyone said the same word simultaneously.

"What I'm saying is that Leina did witness your deaths, but he had managed to go back here again. I first thought of this when Ash said she had a premonition of a _bad_ thing happening at the sky trams shortly after Leina lost his consciousness." Chris started explaining.

"Yeah. I began to think about his words more after that, which brings us here. Chris?"

"Okay." He started to fumble with the device on his paw. It was the same device as yesterday. What is he trying to do...?

A brief silence ensued before he continued, "I knew it. Leina," he looked at me with a stern expression, "you have the ability to rewind time."

_...what?_

"R-really!?" I was struck disbelief. Did I just save my friends by turning back time!?

"Yes. It says so right here. But as always, it only shows the vaguest of words. It says that you can rewind time only on certain circumstances. And like all other perks we have, you will become fatigued once you use it. But still, that's a pretty high-ranked perk."

"Oh wow, it's an Ultra Rare Perk! Even Chris only has a Very Rare one. You are one lucky wolf, you know that?"

"At least mine isn't just Rare."

"Shut it." Ashley quickly ended the topic.

"Oh! Oh! What about me?" Ken asked out of the blue.

"Yours is an Uncommon one." Chris replied.

"That's good, right?"

"Well...you see, the perks have five rankings in total. The lowest one is Common. Then it goes up to Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and finally Ultra Rare."

"...oh. Uh, nevermind then..." Ken's spirit quickly diminished after hearing his explanation. Poor Ken... Wait, that means...

"Holy hell Leina, I've never thought you get that kind of perk!" Hope was surprised. I think all of us were surprised.

"Heh, you've finally gotten yours, huh?" Wesley made a grin. Was he happy for me?

"Leina, I... I'm sorry I didn't believe you...I'm supposed to be your best friend, but I did nothing but doubt you..."

"No, Ken! That's alright, I didn't believe in myself either. So don't take it to yourself." I smiled at him.

"Leina..." Before I knew it, Ken had run up towards me and hugged me. _"Is this really the best time though...? You know what, I don't care anymore. I've saved them from death and that's all that matters."_ I hugged him back with a single tear dropping from my eye.

"So what are we going to do now?" Hope asked preemptively after we all went back to the living room.

"I'm still worried about Leina though. Shouldn't you be resting more?" Wesley was still concerned at me.

"I swear I'm feeling just fine. It was just regular fatigue."

"If you say so. Just tell us if you're feeling strange, okay? We're here for you." He broke a smile.

"Thanks, Wesley." I smiled back.

"Going back to our original topic, I think we should probably go now. It's already been three hours since you fell unconscious." Ken spoke out. Wow, I was down for three hours? That was pretty long...

"...what time is it exactly?" I asked nervously.

"A little past four." Wesley said nonchalantly.

"I…what!?" I was surprised at Ken's announcement of the current time, "I'm sorry…"

"Take it easy. And It's not your fault. If anything, those anomalies are the ones to blame." Ken said assuringly, "Anyways, to top what I've said earlier, I've kinda informed Nick on our where we currently are so I think we should leave soon."

"Wait, you did what!?" Hope exclaimed rather surprisingly.

"It's only for safety measures. But we've gotten sidetracked pretty far."

"Still..."

"Don't worry, trust me."

"As much as it hurts me for being rude, I have to agree with Ken here. Staying here for too long will make you suspicious, given that you're close with the officers." Chris suddenly added.

Hope let out a sigh, "I understand."

"Sorry in advance. It's for our own good. I mean, we are _technically_ fugitives after all." Ashley commented.

"That's true, yes." Chris agreed.

"Guess that's settled then." Wesley stood up and we promptly followed suit before heading to the door.

"Goodbye!" Ken waved to the sibling.

"See ya. And be careful!" Chris informed us.

The never-ending rain was still pouring from the sky above, and we walked away from the house with the umbrella Chris gave us. _Just like before._

"Hey guys, why don't we do ourselves a favor and stay away from the sky trams?" I proposed. Everyone immediately nodded. Wow, no arguing there.

"I wonder what your Remorse was to have such an amazing perk…" Ken spoke up all of a sudden after some time.

"Well, I wouldn't call it amazing since I don't know how to actually get it to work and all…"

"It's still high-ranked though. How is that not amazing?" Wesley suddenly cut in, "Anyways, since Leina's ability is to rewind time, I think it has something to do with that. His Remorse I mean."

"Well…" I started explaining, "After Ken died, I was constantly thinking that I could've saved Ken from his demise if I could turn back time. Of course, since that's just impossible I kinda left that thought after a while of coping with his death. And then the same feeling emerged again after seeing you guys...laying lifelessly after a Shadow crashed down our gondola. The urge to rewind time was so much bigger that time and it finally clicked after seeing Ken's body again for the second time. Before I knew, I was already back at the tigers' house."

"That's...really informative..." Hope sounded astonished.

"I see...well the important thing is that we're all fine." Ken reassured me with a smile.

"Yeah, as long as we don't get separated we'll be okay." Wesley added in.

"You say that as if we're going to get separated or something..."

"Hey, don't take things out of context!"

We laughed at Hope and Wesley's small banter as we continued our trek. The train station was beginning to take form in the distance and we quickened our pace. Entering the station, we followed Hope to buy our tickets before waiting for the train to come. The station wasn't as crowded as before back at Metro Station, so thankfully Ken didn't get separated again. Not long after we waited, the train finally arrived with a swarm of mammals pouring out from it. We waited again for them to finish before actually getting on the train. We found our seats quite easily this time. Finally, we're coming back to Savanna Central.

It was peaceful while it lasted.

* * *

**Sorry for the massive delay, I'm taking a month off from writing due to school stuff. Not to mention the lack of creative juices I'm having. Either way, this is a pretty short update, just to remove the cliffhanger from the previous chapter. I'll try to continue writing if I can, though, so don't worry! But anyways, as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	21. Ordeal

A familiar scene began to emerge outside the train’s windows; they had finally arrived at Metro Station. The door opened automatically and the variety of mammals poured out from the train. The group of friends stepped out at the last second as they try to navigate amongst the crowd.

“Whew! We made it out in one piece!” Hope exclaimed after exiting the station.

“I don’t think that’s the right word to celebrate our arrival...” “Wesley sulked.

Ken checked the time on his phone while his friends were conversing to each other; it was a little past six. _“It’s gotten this late already? I swear that time goes faster in here. But as long as they’re here with me, then I’m fine.”_

“Ken? Don’t tell me you’re spacing out again...” Leina spoke up.

“Uh, of course not! Hehe...” He scratched the back of his head while Leina gave him a doubtful stare, but gave up and turned away.

“I wonder...” Hope smirked over him but Ken only gave him the ‘shh’ gesture.

“So anyways, where do you guys wanna go now?” Ken asked as he looked around the city.

“I suggest we go straight home. I’m still worried about Leina’s current state.” Wesley said solemnly.

“For the umpteenth time, I said I’m fine.” Leina sighed, “But I kinda agree, though. Our current situation isn’t exactly the safest.”

“Hmm, you’re right. I guess we really do need to stay indoors, haha.” Ken laughed at his own joke, “Oh yeah, that reminds me. Are you going home by yourself, Hope?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“Isn’t dangerous to go alone? It’s getting really late, and based on what Ashely said, those anomalies often appear at nighttime.”

“That’s true, but it’s okay, really. I’ll be using a bus anyways so it’s not really that big of a deal.”

“But it is! What if the anomalies show up? Those things are unpredictable, for all we know! And I don’t want to experience what Leina did. So please, let me accompany you to your apartment.”

“Sorry to cut in your conversation, but can’t you just call your police friends and ask them for a ride? I mean, considering our current situation, won’t they at least give us a compromise?” Wesley interrupted.

“That’s…wow, I really haven’t thought of that. I haven’t contacted them since that message I sent them back in the Rainforest District, though, so I don’t really know what they’re doing right now. But I’ll give it a go anyways. Thanks for telling me Wesley.” Ken started fumbling with his phone.

“Heh, don’t mention it.” He made a smirk.

“Well…there goes my plan…” Hope mumbled softly.

“Hmm?” Leina picked up some of his voice.

“Nothing! Carry on…” He quickly brushed it off.

“I wasn’t trying to do anything…”

“Alright, so I’ve called Nick,” Ken spoke up after putting away his phone, “apparently he never saw the message I’ve sent him. It’s…surprising, to be honest. Anyways, I’ve told him to pick us up at Misty’s, so let’s head there.”

“Wait, he agreed to do that?” Hope asked.

“Yeah, he said he was just done with his reports and doesn’t have any tasks to do currently, so he’s free to pick us up. Judy’s still occupied, though, so he’ll be going by himself.”

“But why at Misty’s?”

“I figured I’d get some takeaways for us. Aren’t you guys hungry?”

“Now that you mention it, yeah, I do feel kind of hungry” Wesley added.

“Exactly. Now let’s go before it gets darker.” Ken gestured and they resumed their walk.

Leina had been keeping his eyes on the map on his phone since Ken’s announcement to go to café and they’re currently near the vicinity of Acorn Heights. Misty’s Café is just a little bit to the north from there.

“Hmm, I’ve never been in this part of town before.”

“Leina…we’ve only lived here for a day. You’re not supposed to know all the places here.”

“Oh…yeah, haha.”

“I swear this easygoing personality of yours is gonna get you in trouble someday…”

“Really? I think it suits him very well actually.” Hope added from the sides.

“I still prefer the old Leina though…” Ken mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, nothing. Moving on!”

Leina made a frown before sighing and went back to look at the map. They’re getting close to their destination. Ken decided to check the time out of instinct; it was exactly at 7 PM. Sighing, he put his phone away and wondered if something will happen later.

But the unexpected came sooner than he thought.

_“N-no!!! Get away!!”_

A scream came out from one of the alleys near them that immediately caught their attention.

“What was that!?” Wesley yelped.

“It was someone’s voice! I think they’re in trouble! Let’s hurry and check on them!”

“A-are you sure? I think it’s a bad idea…” Leina hesitated.

“Of course I’m sure! Now come on!” Ken hurried down the alley to the left of him with the others closely following him from behind.

It was the doe Ken bumped into earlier! She was pinned to the ground by a lone shadow, its arms were very much claw-like. Acting on instinct, Ken grabbed a wooden beam nearby and smashed it onto the creature’s back that destroyed the beam on impact with the shadow sent flying away from them, effectively rendering it immobile.

“Ken!!” Hope yelled and started running towards him.

“Hurry, can you stand!?” Ken lent his paw to the doe who was dumbstruck to the current situation.

“Yeah, but…who are you?”

“We can talk later!” He reluctantly took her hoof and helped her get up, “Guys! Let’s get out of here while the shadow is down!” He gestured and they promptly ran with Ken still holding the doe. They got out of the alley and ran away from there as far as possible without even knowing the direction on where they were going. They finally stopped at some point to catch their breaths.

“My God, you don’t know how surprised I was when I first saw that…thing.” Wesley spoke up after a while of panting.

“Hey, are you okay? You must be really frightened after that encounter, huh? But don’t worry, we’re safe now.” Ken said in a reassuring tone.

“I’m okay, thanks. And…aren’t you that fox I bumped into earlier at the station?”

“Oh…yeah! I’m sorry I didn’t give a proper apologize back then.”

“Haha, it’s okay. It’s partly my fault after all. But still…what just happened?”

“That shadow was trying to kill you, that’s what happened!” Hope was still trying to catch his breath.

“A shadow? You mean that blackish creature earlier?”

“Uh…yeah…are you sure you’re alright, though?”

“I’m fine, geez.” She brushed her clothes that consisted of a pink tee covered in a blue jacket paired with cream-colored trousers, “But seriously, thanks. I thought I was gonna die for sure. What are those things anyways? I’ve never seen them before in my entire life, and I’ve been to a lot of places.”

“Those are called anomalies. That particular being is called a shadow, as Wesley here said.” Leina replied.

“Anomalies…? Where are you getting all these terms from?”

“A…friend told us. Let’s just say he’s an expert on these kinds of things.”

“…if you say so.” She showed a hint of doubt on her face before shrugging it off, “Ah, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sophia Estriga, a third-year student at Brightwall Academy. Nice to meet you all!”

“Oh, you were in my class yesterday! Haha, nice to meet you! My name’s Ken Miller, and these three are my friends.”

“The name’s Hope Snowbell!”

“I’m Leina Streisand. Nice to meet you, Sophia!”

“And my name’s Wesley Bright. Ditto.”

“Wow, you got nice diverse friends here.” She was fascinated.

“Heh, thanks.”

“Oh, and I’ve been wanting to ask you this,” Wesley went full interrogation mode, “but how did you encounter that shadow? Did it appear from out of nowhere? And when did it attack you?”

“That’s oddly specific…but I’ll try to answer. So I was coming home from school after taking extra lessons. I decided to walk back home since I forgot to bring my money for the bus. That made my trip home much longer than it should’ve. I’d usually arrive home at six-ish, and that’s when I ride the bus. But as I said, it took longer than I thought to walk from school to my house. Fast forward to earlier, I decided to take a shortcut through that alley. And then…I was attacked from behind by that creature. I managed to struggle away but it immediately pinned me down shortly after. And that’s when you guys came in. So yeah, you pretty much saved my life.” She looked at Ken after finishing her explanation.

“We were really lucky too. If we hadn’t heard your scream then we wouldn’t have known that you were under attack. Either way, the important thing is that we’re all safe now.”

“Thanks again.” She made a pure, innocent smile.

“Heh, don’t mention it.” He grinned back.

“Flirting aside, I didn’t see a single mammal while we were escaping. Is it always this quiet?” Wesley chimed in that made Ken blushed a bit.

“Now that you mention it, I never did see anyone as well.” Leina agreed, “What do you think, Hope?”

“I don’t know. I honestly didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings when we were literally running for our lives.”

“…I guess you’re right. It’s not that big of a deal either, so let’s just drop the conversation altogether.”

“I never said that…” Hope sighed.

“Anyways, Leina, do you know where we are right now?” Wesley asked.

“Hmm…” He opened the map, “We’re currently near…Riverside. We’ve…gone farther away from our destination.”

“What!? How did we end up here??” Hope was startled.

“We must’ve lost our sense of direction. As you said, we were running for our lives, after all.” Ken added up that had a slight teasing in his words.

“Mmm, we should hurry up then.” Sophia suggested.

“You’re right. Where do you live anyway? We can accompany you to your house if you want.”

“My apartment’s at Flock street. It’s a little far away from here, based on what Leina observed on his map.”

“Oh, it’s near my apartment! I live in Troop street, which is just to the east of it.”

“Ken, don’t you remember about our little plan?” Wesley reminded him.

“Oh, yeah, I totally forgot about that. Listen, we’re going to be _escorted_ by a police vehicle since I figured it’d be safer to ride on one. Come with us, I’ll tell Nick to drive you to your apartment.”

“A police vehicle…? Where did you get one of those?” She suddenly became wary.

“I have a friend who’s a cop. Two to be exact, but the other one is currently busy. I’ve told him to wait for us at a certain area so when we arrive there he will drive us to our homes. So what do you say?”

“I…are you sure?” She hesitated.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to. I’m not forcing you or anything.”

“No…I mean, is it okay for you?”

“Of course it is! Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Hehe, I guess so.” She smiled again, “Okay then, I’ll join your company. Thanks again. For everything.”

“Hey, don’t mention it! That’s the least we can do for bumping into you earlier.”

“Ah, love is in the air…” Wesley began his teasing which followed by a chuckling Leina and Hope.

“Shut it, you.”

“Flirting aside, _again,_ I think we should hurry up. It’s getting darker quite fast as well and it’s not helping our cause in any way.”

“Wesley’s right. Who knows when they’ll appear again?” Hope added.

“Alright, fine. Geez.” Ken scratched his head, “Let’s head out then-” He stopped his words as soon as he saw a shadow crawling in front of the alley they were in. “And that’s our cue to leave. Let’s go the other way.” He said softly and they began to run away.

Unfortunately, Leina tripped on something that made him fall, catching the shadow’s attention.

“Sorry! Let’s move!” He picked himself up and they ran at a faster pace.

“Goddammit Leina you and your clumsiness!” Wesley said without turning back.

“I can’t help it, okay!? Now stop talking! We’re being chased for Pete’s sake!” He briefly turned around and noticed that the shadow was still chasing them.

They ran as far as they could but the shadow was still relentlessly chasing after them. Nobody was around while they were being chased so that made the situation weirder.

“Guys, let’s hide here!” Hope exclaimed as he pointed to a rather big alley on the sides. They promptly agreed and moved into the alley. It was quite big; not like those narrow and quirky ones, so maybe a passageway would be best suited to call it. Nevertheless, they immediately hid behind a stack of boxes in hoping for the shadow to look past them and leave. But the shadow actually never came.

“I think…I think we’re safe…” Hope was trying to catch his breath.

“I…need to take a breather…lots of it…” Wesley breathed heavily.

“Guys…there’s…another one up ahead…” Ken struggled to make a gesture to the shadow on the other end of the alley, completely unaware of their presence.

“Oh God, not again…” Leina sounded defeated.

“Ack!! S-sorry!” Sophia got pricked by a splinter while trying to adjust her position which in turn gave their hiding spot away to the shadow. It immediately gave chase as soon as it saw them.

“Scatter!” Ken shouted and they all ran into different directions, thanks to the size of the alley. He unfortunately crossed into the shadow’s path and was forced into a defensive stance.

The others were finally reunited and saw that Ken was facing the shadow.

“Ken!!” Leina exclaimed after seeing Ken dodge a claw swipe from the creature. He grabbed a steel pipe on the wall next to him and smashed it onto the shadow, making it stagger and then followed by a downward swing.

“Guys, I’ll hold this thing off! You go on without me, I’ll catch on!” Ken announced while still keeping his gaze on the slowly recovering shadow.

“Are you crazy!? There’s no way we would leave you behind!” Hope disagreed heavily and everyone seemed to have the same consent.

“But this may be our only chance! Now go before the other one knows we’re here!”

As if to answer Ken’s statement, the other shadow somehow caught up to them and silently pounced on Leina’s back, pinning him to the ground.

“Ahhh!!?” He was mixed with feelings of surprise and confusion as he struggled to get out of his assailant’s grip. The others were startled by his scream and jumped forward, turning back to see the cause of his scream.

“W-what the heck!? Leina!!” Wesley immediately went to help after seeing his predicament by kicking the shadow in full force, knocking it over to the ground, “Get up!” He helped him get his footing back.

“Thanks, Wesley! But wow, that scared the shit out of me...” He wheezed for a second before resuming his wary stance.

“Leina! Are you okay!?” Ken had walked up to him during the attack.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just startled, that’s all.”

“Okay, good...” He tried to analyze the situation; the shadow he previously attacked was still trying to recover, while the other one was carefully picking his next victim. Based on that, he thought it’d be wise to incapacitate that one so they can get out of there. “Guys, I have a plan. I’m gonna try to smack this thing out cold. So as soon as I do that, that’s our cue to get out of here, okay?”

The others were originally reluctant to his plan but eventually agreed to it in the end. Ken then stepped forward to face the creature, gripping the pipe tightly.

_“Okay, just one smack and it’ll be over...”_

He strafed for a bit, trying to get into position before running towards it at full speed. He raised his weapon and swung it right onto it.

But the creature was smarter than he thought. It dodged Ken’s attack and immediately countered it by swiping its claw to Ken’s leg. His instincts picked up and parried the oncoming attack, throwing the shadow off balance. Ken countered back with a horizontal swing, sending the shadow flying back albeit with a less powerful strike.

“Nice job Ken!” Leina cheered.

“Watch out! It’s recovering!” Sophia yelled. She was right, the shadow had recovered already.

 _“Dammit! I guess that wasn’t powerful enough, huh? Oh well, here goes...huh!?”_ His thoughts cut off as he sees the shadow start dissolving into the ground.

“What...? Where did it go?” He looked around for any signs of the shadow. Nothing was coming into sight.

“Ken!! Behind you!!” Hope yelled after seeing something emerging on the ground behind him.

“Huh!?” Ken immediately rolled forward, effectively dodging the rear assault. He quickly readjusted his stance to see  “What the fuck!? It can do that??” He was surprised and at the same time astonished. The shadow made a lifeless grin on its face, making Ken disgusted in sight.

Ken waited a bit before doing another assault. Ken knew what the shadow was up to, and he was correct. He made a fake swing that caused it to dodge to the side like before but Ken immediately followed with a roundhouse kick to knock it off balance, just like he did with the other shadow before and made a downward swing.

Ken was surprised again that the being was still able to block his attack by using its claw-like limbs. Gritting his teeth, he kicked the creature back before backstepping and resumed his stance once again. But he was starting to get fatigued; he knew where to draw the line.

“Guys, this clearly isn’t working! Let’s just get out of here!” He began retreating to his friends.

“You should’ve said that earlier!” Wesley was keeping his eyes on the other shadow behind them; it has almost finished recovering.

“Less talking, more running!” Hope scowled him.

“Hurry! It’s catching on fast!” Leina yelled after seeing the creature was chasing them.

Ken slowed his pace after seeing that the shadow in front of them was fully recovered; it was blocking their exit.

“Goddammit, we don’t have time for this!” Ken readied his fighting stance, _again,_ “Guys, I’m gonna make a way! So as soon as you guys are out I’ll follow you immediately!” Ken said as he made a swing to the shadow as a ‘back off’ message.

“Ahhh!!” Sophia tripped into something and fell to the ground clumsily.

“Not again…” Leina tried to help her get up but the shadow that was giving chase caught hold of her legs, which then it proceeded to drag her with it, “What the!? Let her go!!” Leina jumped down to catch her hooves, hoping for the shadow to release its grip.

He never expected for the shadow to have such power; instead of rescuing her, he got dragged on as well.

“Ahh! Help me!” He screamed as he was being dragged along the ground to who knows where.

“Leina! Sophia!” Wesley hastily followed them, leaving Ken and Hope behind.

“Don’t just run off like that! Wesley!”

“What’s happening!?” Ken turned back for a split second. Seeing the opportunity, the shadow immediately swiped his claw onto Ken’s right leg.

“AGH!!!” Ken winced backward in pain, “You son of a bitch! Take this!” He immediately countered it with a heavy downward swing to the head that caused it to tumble down. He finished it with a thrust to the creature’s head, splitting it apart in the process. He wheezed as he sees the creature begun dissolving into the ground, turning into nothingness.

“Ken!!” Hope had seen the entire onslaught and he hurried to his side as soon as he was victorious, “Oh God, your leg is bleeding a lot! Lay down, I’ll…I’ll try to cover it with something…” He took off his green cardigan and wrapped it carefully onto Ken’s wounds, stopping the bleeding somewhat that in turn made his paws all bloody. “This will slow down the bleeding. But we need to get you to a hospital or it’ll get worse.”

“But…the others!”

He gritted his teeth, “They’re…they’re gonna do fine. Let’s get you patched up first.” He helped Ken get up and supported him by his shoulder.

“Are you sure…?” His breathing was shallow.

“…yes. Now let’s go before any of those show up again.” They started walking to the end of the alleyway.

“Hope…I don’t feel so good…” Ken was becoming lightheaded.

“Hang in there! We’re almost there…” They fastened their paces.

_“Dammit, he’s losing a lot of blood… What…what should I do…?”_

They were almost out of the alleyway but the unexpected happened again. Suddenly Ken fainted and he slumped down from Hope’s shoulder.

“Ken! Oh no, this is bad!” He tried to wake him up but to no avail. “Dammit! Of all the times!”

“Ken…?” A voice came out from their behind and Hope immediately turned behind.

It was Nick.

“What…what did you do!?” His paw was already holding a tranq gun.

“Nick! I…I can explain!” He raised both his paws, “It was the creatures, they attacked us! And Ken here is badly wounded, so can you…can you take him to the hospital?”

Silence ensued but eventually Nick sighed and holstered his gun, “Sorry, I…I overreacted.” He walked up towards them, inspecting Ken in particular. “This…this looks bad. I’ll take him to the cruiser.” He lifted Ken’s body and started walking away, “Where are the others?”

“I’m gonna look for them. Take care of Ken in the meantime!” He ran off to the opposite side as he said.

“Whoa, wait!” He tried to stop him but he was already gone, “…shadows, huh? What in the world is happening to our city…?” He shook his head and went to his cruiser, putting Ken in the backseat. He then finally drove off to the hospital, hoping for the best.

It was going to be another long day.

* * *

**Hey. It’s me. How are you? I’m doing great. God, I’m not getting away with this, am I? So let me explain for this inexcusable delay. I said I was going to take a two weeks vacation in the last chapter. Well, make that a four weeks vacation, plus one week for midterms. Yep, I still have tests. Either way, I’m so sorry for the delay and I hope this won’t turn you off to this story. Onto the actual story though…yeah, this went downhill pretty fast. Bet rest assured I will try to update this regularly as I can. Also, I’ve proofread all the past chapters to date and I recommend you to read those chapters again because some of them got their dialogues completely rewritten. And…yeah, that’s all what I want to say today. So anyways, as always, I will see you on the next chapter. Good night!**


	22. Secrets

"Leina! Let go of her!" Wesley frantically said while running after them.

"Are you crazy!? I'll die!"

"Ugh! Get off of me! Let go!" Sophia struggled by kicking relentlessly at the shadow who was dragging her and Leina. She luckily hit a weak spot and it released its grip on her, making them tumble to the ground.

"Owie…" Leina grabbed his left paw in pain, trying to recover from the sudden impact.

"Wesley! Keep it busy!" Sophia was still trying to recover as well.

"On it!" Wesley ran ahead of them to confront the shadow who was still staggered from their fall. He then took a fire extinguisher from the wall near him before smacking it onto the shadow's head multiple times, resulting it in dissolving into the ground eerily.

"Haa…did…did I kill it?" He was short of breath.

"You…you did!" Leina was surprised at the scene that just occurred.

"Whoa…it was that easy?" Sophia was taken aback.

"Who cares about that!? Let's get out of here already!" Wesley grouped up with them again.

"But…where are we?" Leina suddenly realized where they were.

"Um, when did we get here…?" Sophia started looking around as well. It seems that they were oblivious to the fact that they were taken to a different place altogether.

"It looks like an abandoned subway line." Wesley examined the place, "How did we get here without even knowing?"

"That's what I wanna know! And gosh, it's so dark I can barely see…" She started the torchlight on her phone.

"Really? I can see just fine before."

"That's because you two have night visions, obviously."

"Night vision? Oh yeah, because I'm a wolf, of course." He scratched his head in embarrassment. Sophia only gave him a doubtful stare before sighing.

"That aside, let's look for an exit. We must be near one if I'm right." Wesley suggested.

"I don't see any of the such nearby, though." She said as she shone her torch at every direction, "Although you're right, we need to get out of here."

"I can't call Ken either. There's no network coverage here."

"That's plausible, given that we're underground and all. Anyways, though, let's go. This place is giving me the creeps. And I'm sure as hell don't wanna meet those things again."

The others nodded and they finally started walking in search of an exit.

*******

_"_ _Where could they be?"_ Hope was frantically backtracking to search for his friends. He ran back to where he last saw them and looked for any tracks that they might have left.

Surely enough, scratch marks were all over the ground. Thanking his lucky stars, he promptly followed them with some kind of a reassurance in his heart. They went on longer than he anticipated, though. They must've been taken to somewhere far, he thought.

A couple minutes of running later, he saw the tracks leading into an entrance of a tunnel or the such. He took a moment to stop and catch his breath while occasionally looking at his surroundings. There were still no people around, which made the situation eerier. Shaking his head, he gathered his courage and went into the tunnel, hoping for the best.

Adjusting his eyes to the newfound surroundings, he walked forward and noticed how dark the place was. And the fact that it was nighttime didn't make it any better. Nevertheless, he tried not to make any noise to avoid alerting any 'dwellers' inside the tunnel.

A while of exploring later, the tracks stopped at some point deep inside of the tunnel. He became even more confused after seeing a black soot in the shape mammal on the ground near where the tracks were interrupted.

 _"_ _Is this…what's left of that shadow? They managed to kill it, but…where are they now?"_ Shaking his head, he continued his trek with his hope diminishing in every step he took.

Before the despair could seep into his mind, sounds began to emanate from the deeper parts of the tunnel. Sounds that he was familiar with. It was his friends! He then quickly took off to the direction of the noises while keeping a steady pace.

 _"_ _They sounded like they came from this direction, but...I haven't seen anyone, or anything..."_

He kept pushing forward, keeping in check amongst the debris of something unidentifiable scattered all over. Train tracks can be seen on the side of the gap that connected to a whole other area but he stayed on the high ground as he didn't want to take any risks.

He passed through an opening that led him deeper into the tunnel. Things were starting to get really dark so he turned the torchlight on his phone on, illuminating the immediate surrounding. Fear was imminent, as he was starting to get scared. He had never been in this situation before, and walking down a dark passageway like this really makes fur stand on its ends. Nevertheless, he kept his cool and proceeded forward.

He eventually was greeted by a three-way intersection. He had the option to go left or right. He was unsure of where to go so he made a left turn, hoping that the path he took is the right way. The sounds were gradually getting farther and distant, but he kept going forward in which he trust his instincts.

As if to shatter that instinct, he was met with a dead end. He noticed nothing out of the ordinary with the dead end and sighed in defeat.

 _"_ _I knew I shouldn't have gone this way. Goddammit all."_

He turned around but stopped immediately after seeing something at the corner of his eye. He walked to one side of the wall and inspected it further, revealing a really obscure door. It was noticeably small. He wasn't sure whether he should be happy for finding this or not. He tried to open it and surprisingly for him it opened rather easily. _Too easy._

He had a debate in his mind on whether he should enter it or not. His instincts say no but his curiosity says yes. His body ended siding up with his curiosity and he finally entered the room. Shining his torchlight around, he immediately deduced that it was a storeroom, noticeable from the shelves and cupboards laying around the room. Why are these even here? Shaking his head, he examined the room further.

He didn't see any traces that belonged to his friends but his curiosity made him kept searching. He ended up finding a case that has collected dust on one of the shelves. On top of the case was a piece of paper, presumably a note. He casually picked them up before getting startled by a noise coming from the back of the room, making chills run down his spine. He quickly shone his torch at the source of the noise, expecting something to fall out of its shelf.

It was nowhere near what he thought.

He took a step back with horror on his face. Five sets of glowing yellow eyes were staring right at him while smiling profusely, revealing rows of sharp teeth and fangs. They were all advancing at him.

 _"_ _Oh no, this is bad!"_

He quickly turned around and made a beeline for the door, only to find it closed on him. He tried to open it but it was somehow locked, or rather, it wouldn't budge, no matter hard he tried to open it. He turned back to the shadows again that was midway through the room as he slumped down to the floor while still holding the case.

 _"_ _No...this...this isn't happening...this isn't happening...! NO!"_

He let out the most powerful scream he could ever imagine. Before he knew, everything had turned to dark.

*******

"What was that!?" Wesley suddenly halted.

"It sounded like it came from behind. I think it was...Hope!?" Leina confirmed his suspicion.

"What!? Let's go then, something must've happened to him!" Both Leina and Sophia nodded and they started running back to where they came from.

"He must've taken the left turn at the intersection! Let's go there!" Sophia added from behind.

They passed the intersection they Sophia mentioned and ran straight forward. Soon enough, they were met with the dead end.

"A dead end...? But I'm pretty sure it came from here."

"Well then let's search for something, _anything!_ "

"Wesley! I found a small door over here!" Leina shouted after a while of searching.

"Good job!" They ran up to him and examined the door further, "It's so well hidden...without our torches I don't think we would ever find this. But anyways, here goes nothing..." He turned the door handle and it swung open with no effort.

"Hope!" Leina immediately ran up to the unconscious Hope lying on the ground. Sophia quickly joined him while Wesley was keeping his eyes on the surroundings.

"Hope! Wake up!" He was constantly shaking him while occasionally checking for any wounds on him, but luckily there was nothing of the sorts, making him sigh in relief.

Hope eventually started to regain his consciousness and immediately sat upright while gasping for air.

"Hope! Calm down, we're here!"

He frantically looked around while still breathing spastically but he calmed down after the others reassured him that it's okay.

"You're all here... Heh, pathetic, isn't it? I came here to look for you guys but you ended up saving me instead." He let out an unsure giggle.

"You came here for us? But you shouldn't have...!" Sophia was helping him to get up on his feet.

"I can't just leave you all alone by yourselves, I just can't..."

"That's okay, the important thing is that we're all safe. And speaking of which, what happened to you? I've never heard a scream so...horrifying before." Leina inquired.

"Well...while I was searching for you guys, I found an obscure door to this room. I knew you couldn't be in here, but my curiosity took over and I entered this room. Suffice to say, the term 'curiosity kills the cat' really applied back there." He made a bashful look, "I was exploring this room and before I knew, I was already trapped here. Worst of all, there were five shadows. _Five shadows_ , slowly advancing towards me. If that isn't creepy, then I don't know what creepy means, because I was scared to death."

"What!?" Wesley immediately closed in to Hope upon mentioning the shadows with a wary expression, "Are you hurt? Did they do something to you?" He gave out a flurry of questions.

"C-calm down, I'm feeling fine. I passed out before they could even get to me so I don't know what they did after that."

"That's good to hear..." He sighed in relief, "And there are no signs of those monsters here right now, so for the meantime we're safe here. Also, where is Ken? Wasn't he with you? Did he wander off somewhere?"

"Ken...Ken got hurt so he had to be taken to the hospital."

"What!?" All of them exclaimed the same word with Leina being the dominant one.

"Yeah...while you guys were 'dragged' away, Ken got distracted and was attacked from behind on his right leg. Thankfully he finished the shadow off but he was bleeding a lot because the wound was rather big. He...eventually lost his consciousness."

"You're rather calm about this. I assume that he's safe now?" Sophia asked further.

"Pretty much. Fortunately, Nick found us in the alley we were in so I told him to take Ken to the hospital while I run off to search for you."

"Thank God, you almost gave me a heart attack there when you mentioned that he passed out." Leina was clutching his chest.

"Sorry, I should've told you this before. But hey, at least I found something interesting...in here...?" His voice trailed off as he was inspecting his self and the nearby surroundings, which made the others confused. "No...did they take it...? I'm sure I was holding it..."

"What are you looking for?" Sophia was curious.

"I found an old case with a note on top. I was holding it when I went unconscious, but now it's gone..." He made a defeated expression but spotted something on the floor at the end of the room, which he walked to it and picked it up, "Oh, it's the note! How did it get here, though...? But I guess that rules out my suspicions." He walked back to the others.

"What did you find?"

"It's the note I was talking about. I haven't really read it. Do you wanna hear it?"

"As if you needed to ask." Leina remarked sarcastically.

"Heh, I suppose. Alright, here goes."

_To whoever's reading this note, I just wanted to say sorry to everyone I've left behind, especially Aurica. I'm truly sorry, but I need to get out of this Reaper's Game. I need to live! I've found these two super rare crystals inside this case that said to bring the user to the Fifth Level of the game, which is the final level. I wanted to bring Aurica with me, but we got separated and I got forced into a mission, that ended up with me finding this. Aurica, if you're reading this then please use the crystal inside this case to join me at the Fifth Level. After that, we can defeat the final boss and get our lives back. Until then, I'll be waiting for you!_

"That's…the end of it… _what?_ " Hope was left confused as with the others that could be seen from their expressions.

Save for Sophia. Instead of being in the same state as the others, she ended up stepping back while cupping her hooves on her mouth. Wesley took notice as he looked at her and was surprised at her horrified expression.

"Sophia, you okay!?" He quickly went to her side.

"I'm…I'm okay." She took a deep breath as she regained her composure almost immediately.

"Are you sure? You looked like you've just seen a ghost."

"I said I'm okay…"

"If you say so. But if you're seeing anything weird, don't hesitate to come to us for help."

"Thanks…"

"Back to the matter at hand, though, what was _that_? My mind was basically drawing blanks the whole time when you were reading that note."

"I think that goes for all of us. I don't understand a thing what that person was trying to say. Reaper's Game? Fifth Level? Are these terms from a game or something? And who is this Aurica?" Leina was jumbled as ever.

"Well…whatever this note means, let's get out of this place first. It's giving me the creeps…" Hope slipped the paper into his pocket.

"I agree. Something in this room feels…off. Let's hurry." Leina agreed and they all started leaving the room and into the corridor.

Hope led the way to where he came from since the others didn't know how they entered the tunnels in the first place. Following the pathway, soon enough the opening that led to the train tracks began to appear into view. He said that they're getting close to the exit and they quickened their pace. Unbeknownst to them, Sophia was silent the whole time while they were preoccupied with their own conversations. They didn't even know that she hadn't spoken along the way, not even once. After a while of walking, they finally reached the exit and sighed in relief. They were finally out from that horrible place.

"Whoo, finally! Some fresh air!" Wesley was inhaling a lot.

Hope out of instinct pulled out his phone to check the time. It was already 10 PM.

"Okay, can we go see Ken now?" Leina was antsy about the matter.

"Sure, but we don't even know which hospital that he was taken to. Do you know, Hope?" Wesley wondered.

"I…I don't know. I never asked Nick on where he'd take Ken to. Sorry."

"Well this is definitely a problem... Do you think they might've gone to the nearest hospital...?" His voice trailed off as he turned to Leina and noticed that he was already accessing his phone.

"I'm on it." He had already opened the Maps app. He panned to where they last saw Ken and saw the exact large alley. It was surprisingly near their original destination, which was the cafe, well, at least until the anomalies showed up. He searched the nearby vicinity for any sort of hospitals and found one that was rather near the cafe.

"I think I found it. It's relatively near Misty's Cafe but we need to walk an extra mile to get there from here."

Hope blinked, "That…was fast. But good job!" He was unsure whether he should be amazed or weirded out by that.

"Also, I suggest that we follow any crowd whenever we see one. I think it'll minimize our chances of encountering the anomalies."

"That's a good idea, yeah. We don't want wanna get separated either." Wesley promptly agreed.

They were still conversing until Sophia interrupted their talk, "Everyone, I'm sorry but I need to go back home. I have something I needed to do."

"Huh? Now? Are you sure?" He was getting skeptical about her.

"Yes. I just realized something important that I need to do."

He gave her a doubtful stare, "I see. Can we ask you for your number? That way we can be in contact if something happens."

"Yeah, of course!" He took her phone and quickly synced it with all their phones in a rather casual way, that made them even more confused, especially Wesley.

"Okay then. Bye!" She ran off into the distance while the others waved.

"That…was pretty abrupt, don't you think?" Leina mumbled.

"Yeah… And to be completely honest, I had my doubts on her since the way she reacted with the note Hope was reading earlier. Her sudden change of expression was…unnatural, to say the least." Wesley admitted.

"She probably heard something that triggered her past or something, I dunno."

"Who the hell cares about that!? We have better things to think about for Pete's sake!" Hope let out a little outburst.

"Y-yeah, sorry, we went off track there." Leina sulked a little.

"Anyways, are we ready to go?" Wesley asked in which they all nodded, "Okay then, let's go."

They finally walked out with Leina leading the way. And as he suggested, they always stuck with a group of mammals whenever they see one. Even though it was pretty late, there were still a good bunch of people loitering around the streets. After walking for a while, they eventually reached the big alley that they were originally from. Surprisingly for them, there were mammals passing through that alley. But they've thought better and didn't go that way again.

Everything was going nicely. All of them were determined to reach Ken's side.

* * *

 **Another chapter, another delay. School is really taking a toll in my life, being in 12** **th** **grade and all, and I apologize for it. But not to worry, as I've written out the story up to Chapter 25 in my script book, so expect quicker updates from now! So anyways, as always, I'll see you in the next chapter. Good night!**

**(Sophia and Auria belongs to Mad-Cartoonist, my friend. Do not use without permission.)**


	23. Solace, Part 1

Thinking that he had nothing useful to do than to lead them to the hospital, he decided to half-jokingly call Ken’s phone. He never expected him to pick it up due to obvious reasons, but someone actually answered his call.

“Hello…? Who is this?” He greeted in a nervous tone.

_“Hello. This is Leina, right? It’s me, Nick.”_

“Oh, hi there! I never thought someone would pick his phone up so I wasn’t really prepared for this…”

_“That’s okay. Hey, is Hope there? Can you give him the phone?”_

“Yeah, sure…” He gestured Hope to come near before giving him his phone. He then stepped away.

“Hello? Hope here.”

_“Hey, Hope. I’ve just dropped Ken in the emergency room just now and right now he’s being attended. So, I assume you’ve found your friends?”_

“Yeah, I’m with them right now. But Ken’s doing fine, right?”

_“The doctors said that he lost a lot of blood, but he’ll be okay. He just needs to rest and get that wound patched up.”_

“That’s good to hear… Oh yeah, we’re coming there right now. Can you tell me where you are? Leina said that there’s a big chance that he was taken to the nearest hospital, near the café?”

_“Yup, he got it right. We’re in Pawson’s General Clinic. It’s around Acorn Heights, which is to the south of here.”_

“I see. We’re actually pretty near to where the café is, so I guess we’ll see you soon.”

_“Okay. I need to do something so we’ll talk later. Goodbye.”_

“See ya.” He hung up. He then closed in on them again and gave Leina his phone back.

“So what did you two talk about?” He asked while pocketing his phone.

“I just asked on how was Ken’s condition and where did he was taken to. Ken’s fine, and at the moment he’s currently being treated in Pawson’s General Clinic.”

“That’s the place I read on the map earlier. So I was actually right…huh.”

“Well, where else could they’ve gone?” Wesley chimed in, “Anyways since Nick has confirmed our destination, let’s get going.” He said and the two nodded. They then ran southeast based on the location on the map.

*******

Ken slowly regained his consciousness and opened his eyes. Everything was especially white to his immediate surroundings.

 _“Where…am I?”_ He thought as he tried to sit on the surface he was on, which he assumed was a bed. He immediately landed his gaze on the red fox sitting beside him. He was distracted with his phone.

“Nick…?” His voice was rather solid for a hospitalized person.

“Oh, Ken! You’re awake!” He quickly put his phone away and leaned closer to him, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, but…what happened? I remember being with my friends…!” He gasped and tried to sit upright but it resulted in pain.

“Hey, don’t move around too much! The stitches are still fresh and it will come off if you do.” He tried to calm Ken down, “Anyways, you went unconscious after losing a lot of blood after being attacked by those things. At least that’s what Hope told me.”

“What do you mean…? Where’s Hope?”

“He’s...he said that he’s going to search for the others. I still don’t know what happened exactly.”

Memories suddenly flowed through Ken’s mind and he remembered everything. “They…they were taken away by the shadows. As soon as I take my eyes off the shadow, he…clawed me. I remember being shouldered by Hope until I pass out.” He tried to sit again, this time more careful.

“They’ll be fine. I’m sure of it.” He made a smile that made Ken somewhat happy.

Soon after they finished their conversation, the room’s door suddenly opened and five mammals entered the room. There was a badger in a doctor’s uniform, Judy, and most of all, Ken’s friends.

“Well speak of the devil. You finally came.” He made a smirk.

“Of course I did! This is Ken we’re talking about. Anyways, I met these three in the lobby and we decided to go together with the help of doctor Richard here.” Judy introduced.

“I didn’t expect a large company this late of night, but I’m sure he appreciates all of you that came here.” The doctor moved towards Ken while the others followed him from behind.

“Ken, how are you feeling?” Leina spoke out first.

“I’m fine. It’s just my leg that got hurt after all.” He replied, trying to sound cool.

“You’re obviously not fine. You’re in a frickin’ hospital for Pete's sake.” Wesley exclaimed.

“Heh, I guess…” He smiled sadly but immediately turned serious, “How about you guys? Are you                 okay? And where’s Sophia?”

“We’re fine, Wesley somehow defeated the shadow that took us in some tunnels.” Leina said but immediately went silent after seeing the doctor’s reaction, “Uh, sorry. As for Sophia, she said she had something to do so she went back to her house.”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate.”

“Who is this Sophia you’re talking about?” Nick suddenly asked from the back of the room. He apparently was conversing with Judy but immediately noticed the new name being mentioned.

“Oh, it’s a friend. We just met earlier but she got dragged with us. She’s fine, though.” Wesley answered.

“I see. Well, carry on.” He turned back to Judy.

They talked for a while until the doctor told them that Ken needs to rest a full night before being fully recovered, so he asked them to come again tomorrow. They heed the doctor’s order and exited the room one by one while saying their goodbyes to Ken. He said his as well before finally left alone.

Back at the lobby…

“So, yeah. First things first. Can someone explain to me what the heck happened while we were away? We left you for a day and one of you already got hospitalized.” Judy demanded answers while rapidly thumping her feet to the ground.

“Well…all of this happened after Ken saved Sophia from being attacked by the shadows. Long story short, we got separated and Ken was attacked from the looks of it. But otherwise, we’re all fine.” Wesley tried to explain.

“How did you even get in this mess…?” She facepalmed.

“Oh, I forgot to ask you this, but what were you guys doing in the Rainforest District? It’s unusual for Ken to go somewhere, especially in another section of the city without prior notice.” Nick started interrogating them.

“Oh, um, Ken wanted to visit his friends that he met yesterday so we decided to tag along with him.” Leina answered bluntly.

“I thought Ken was socially inept at making friends, but I guess I’m wrong.” He shrugged, making the others laugh.

“Alright, here you go.” Nick produced a key from his pocket and threw it at Wesley that he caught rather poorly.

“What’s this?”

“It’s Ken’s apartment keys. What, you wanna sleep on the streets or something?” He made his signature smirk.

“Har-har.” Wesley rolled his eyes before putting it away in his pocket.

”Well, now that’s done, I’m going to drive Hope to his home. Nick, you do the same with them, okay? You live in the same building and all.” Judy announced.

“Whatever you say, Carrots.” His smirk won’t fade anytime soon.

They finally exited the hospital and went into the parking lot. They said their goodbyes and entered their respective vehicles before driving off.

“So. How was your day?” Nick attempted to spark a conversation.

“Could’ve been better, if that wasn’t obvious enough.” Wesley chuckled, “What about you? We haven’t seen you nor Judy today. Busy?”

“You could say that. We needed to do a lot of reports regarding the recent events. Not to mention we haven’t caught our actual perps yet. We’re still finding clues on where they could’ve possibly been.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve almost forgotten about that.” Leina muttered.

“The way they escaped was really weird too. It felt like they just disappeared out of thin air. I’m no magician but I can tell you that’s not normal.”

Leina gulped, “Oh, really? I never knew…”

“Eh, to be honest, it doesn’t really matter if we never catch them. At least to me anyways, since the actual convicts are already captured. But enough of that, tell me more about this Sophia.”

“Well…it all started when Ken bumped into hear back at the station…”

Leina started reminiscing about how they saved Sophia from the shadow that was attacking her, how she ended up running with them and how they got separated and got dragged into a subway tunnel, including how he tried to save her but got dragged along as well. It resulted in laughs in giggles from both of them, making him also laugh in embarrassment.

They soon arrived in front of their apartment building. They exited the cruiser and went straight into the building and made a beeline to the elevator while greeting a bunch of guests that were doing their own business.

“My room’s on the fifth floor, specifically room 513. It was 512, but yeah, things happened. Give a ring if you need something, okay?” Nick said after they’re in the elevator.

“Gotcha.” Wesley nodded.

The elevator rang shortly after and Nick walked forward. They said their goodbyes as the door closed on itself. Arriving at the sixth floor, they left the elevator and headed for the nearest room, which was room 601. They finally entered the room, not forgetting to lock it again and finally crashed onto their airbeds near their bulky backpacks.

“Okay, now _that_ was a tiring day.” Wesley stretched.

“Yeah, no kidding. We were running a lot earlier and I’m not sure if my body can catch up if this keeps happening.” Leina’s voice sounded flat, “And while I’m worried about Ken, I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s a strong-willed person.”

“I’m sure he is…” Wesley’s voice suddenly turned sad.

“Hmm? What’s with the sudden change of moods”

“Leina, I think…I think we should go home soon.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, for one it’s currently unsafe here, looking from earlier. And don’t you miss your family? It’s been only two days we’re here and I already feel homesick. I don’t even know what my parents will say if I tell them I was from ‘another’ world. Heck, can we even go back to our world??”

“Wesley, calm down. I know how you feel, I really do. But being with Ken here just feel…amazing, to be honest. And don’t you ever say that, of course we can go back. You still have that paper scrap, right?”

“Yeah, it’s still in my wallet.” He briefly checked it and it was still there.

“Okay, good. I still have mine as well, so we have that out of our problems. Anyways, even if we would get to our own world, we need to tell Ken first. That’s pretty much mandatory.”

“You’re right. Sorry, I was being selfish. I’m just afraid my parents would pressure me more into studying…and we haven’t attended school in two days either! What will our teachers say once they found out that we’ve been slacking off?”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll help you explain the situation if we even get to that.” Leina smiled.

“Leina… Thanks.” He smiled back.

“No problem, that’s what friends are for, right?” He winked, “Anyways, I’m going to take a shower before crashing in. You wanna come?”

“Ugh, no!”

“Haha, kidding, kidding.” He let out a laugh and went into the bathroom.

And so, the night continues.

*******

Back at Judy’s cruiser…

“Hey, Hope… Are you…are you hiding something from us?” Judy asked Hope which was sitting to the right of her.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Can you tell me a bit about Ken’s friends?”

“Um…what do you need to know about?”

“Are they…tigers, by any chance?”

That was an instant red flag for hope. He wasn’t sure whether to tell her the truth or lie to her. While he didn’t want to betray his friends, he didn’t want to betray the cops’ trust either. For once in his life, this was the biggest choice in his life.

“They’re…” His eyes went wide after seeing something in the middle of the road, “Judy, watch out!!!”

She immediately locked his eyes on the thing in front of her and steered away just in time before crashing into it. The vehicle became disoriented for a bit but she adjusted the car’s position back to normal after a few tries.

“Oh God, that was _too_ close.” Judy was catching his breath. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…I’m…okay…” Hope was still clinging to his seat.

“Sorry about that. And…just forget about earlier, I don’t even want to know.” She sighed, which left him confused but he also shrugged it off after.

They soon arrived at Hope’s apartment. He left the vehicle and said his goodbyes. Judy said hers as well, albeit a bit weak. She then finally drove away, leaving him in front of the building. He nonchalantly entered it and headed straight into the elevator without making any glances. He crashed into his bed as soon as he entered his room.

 _“This was a pretty overwhelming day. First Leina had apparently turned back time, and now Ken ended up being hospitalized because ‘monsters’ attacked us. This couldn’t get any weirder, right?”_ He let out a long sigh. He then took out his phone to inadvertently distract his attention from the subject and saw the time. It was already past eleven.

 _“It’s already this late, huh? How did even get into this mess?”_ He rolled to the side, feeling defeated, “ _Ken seemed rather fine back then. I guess I have nothing to worry about. He did escape a building full of armed mammals after all, so I guess something like this doesn’t faze him much. I’m sure he’ll be better by tomorrow. I’m sure of it.”_ He smiled silently and slowly dozed off into slumber land.

And so, another day was over without a moment’s notice.

* * *

 

**Just a follow-up to last week’s chapter. I think I’m going to do a weekly update for this fic, if not bi-weekly. It may not seem much, but the next chapter will be full of plot explanations, or however you say it. Needless to say, I’m pretty pumped for it. Reviews are always welcome, it’s been sparse over here without reviews, but I’ll complete this story hopefully by the end of the year. So anyways, as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!**


	24. Solace, Part 2

“Good morning Hope! Did your night go well?”

_“Yeah, it was pretty uneventful. We’re going to visit Ken, right?”_

“I was about to tell you that. Yeah, we’re going to leave at ten. Is that fine?”

_“Sure, I see no problem with it. Okay, I need to ready up then. Laters.”_

“See ya.”

 _*_ click _*_

Leina hung up the phone as he prepared his belongings for the trip to the hospital. Wesley was out to buy himself a new set of clothes so it was only Leina alone in the room. They had showered prior; Leina  was wearing a new attire that consisted of a cyan shirt under a plaid red sleeveless hoodie and dark-grey trousers.

The door opened as soon as he finished up his preparations and Wesley entered the room with a new look. He was wearing a black and yellow striped shirt with his usual turquoise jacket tied around his waist and a pair of black jeans. Leina looked at him in awe before shrugging off that caused Wesley to raise an eyebrow. He then proceeded to take his satchel and filled it with a variety of stuff that Leina didn’t bother to look at.

Leina had turned the TV on and it was showing the news channel. It was about the recent events where the Nighthowler smuggling group was recaptured by the ZPD two days ago. He didn’t find it interesting so he switched the channel after channels, trying to find one that most suited him.

While Leina was minding his own business, Wesley’s phone suddenly rang as he was wearing his satchel that took Leina’s attention too. Startled, he took out the phone with a slight shake before reading the caller’s name. Surprisingly, it was from Sophia.

_“Hello, Wesley? It’s me, Sophia. I’m sorry I left so soon last night, but I really had something important to attend. How’s Ken? Is he okay?”_

“Oh, hi Sophia. Ken’s doing fine. In fact, he’s going to be released today so we’re going to pick him up at the hospital this morning.”

_“I see. In that case, can I join? I have something important to tell you guys that I need to get it out from my system.”_

“Something important? What do you mean?”

_“I’ll explain it once we’re there, okay? And speaking of which, can you tell me where the hospital is?”_

“Oh, um, it’s around Acorn Heights. The name is Pawson’s General Clinic.”

_“Okay, got it. I’ll see you there then. Goodbye.”_

“Wait-”

*click*

Sophia had already hung up before he could continue his words. He sighed and put his phone away.

“So Sophia’s coming?”

“Yeah. She also said that she has something ‘important’ to tell us. She never said what that is, though, but I’m pretty curious, to be honest.”

“Something important, huh? I wonder what… But either way, we should probably go now, it’s almost time.”

“You’re right. Alright then, let’s head out.”

They took a final glance at the room before exiting and locking the door behind them.

*******

“Alright, I think that’s all.” Hope mumbled after finishing his preparations. He was wearing a gray tee with brown baggy pants. He wasn’t particularly conspicuous as he doesn’t like being the center of people’s attention. His phone suddenly rang right after opening the room’s door. Annoyed, he read who the caller was. It was from Nick, surprisingly.

 _“Huh? Where did he get my number from?”_ He was reluctant to answer but he did eventually.

“Hello?”

_“Mornin’ Hope! How are you doing?”_

“Um, I’m fine…? What is it? I’m in a hurry.”

_“I take it you’re heading out to see Ken? In that case, let me and Judy drive you there since we want to visit Ken as well.”_

“Thanks for the offer, but I can go by myself.”

_“I insist. It’s for your safety as well. Besides, it’ll be faster than walking or catching the bus!”_

He gave a sigh, “Alright, fine. I’ll wait for you outside my apartment.”

_“Excellent. I’ll see you later!”_

_*_ click _*_

He put his phone away with a defeated expression and left the room in a hurry, not forgetting to lock it. He greeted the mammals along the way and he finally exited the building. He searched for a nearby bench and sat on it while trying to wait for the others to come and pick him up.

He took out his phone and looked at the time; it was a little past ten. He sighed, thinking that he’d be late if he’s not there soon. He wondered when will the two cops come too. He tried to pick his earphones but he noticed that the police cruiser was already in sight. The vehicle stopped in front of him and the window rolled down, showing a fox and a rabbit inside.

“That was fast…were you already near this area?” He blinked.

“Heh, you can say that.” Nick smirked.

“Hop on in, we can talk on the way.” Judy said.

Hope nodded and went inside the trunk, sitting on one side of the seats with the usual wire mesh separating the front and the back. They then took off into the opposite direction.

“So how was your night? Did something weird happen?” Nick asked without turning back.

“Not really. I went straight to bed after Judy dropped me home. What about you, Judy? Did you see something unusual on the way back?”

“Nope. Thank goodness for that, I don’t know what I’d do if I meet those creatures.” She subtly shuddered.

“That’s good…” His voice trailed off.

“Hmm? Is something on your mind?”

“Nothing, I just don’t feel like talking…”

“…if you say so. Just tell us if something’s wrong.”

“Okay.”

Hope then proceeded to sink into the seat he was on while the two continued to converse with each other. They were talking about various things with constant banters from the two, but mostly from Nick. Although Hope replied any remarks from them, he didn’t really pay much attention. He was thinking about Ken, but mainly about the piece of note he found yesterday. Its contents were so out of place that it made him speechless, not to mention the case the note was stuck on had disappeared somewhere while he was passed out. He thought Ken might know something about it so he planned to tell him once they’re together.

His phone suddenly vibrated that snapped him out of his thoughts. He checked the phone and saw a new text message from Wesley.

_“we’re waiting at the hospital. where are you?”_

_“I’m on the way there. Nick and Judy tagged along too so we might be a little late.”_

_“ah ok. well we’ll see you soon, i guess.”_

_“Yeah, see ya.”_ He put his phone away with an uncertain expression.

“Hey, Leina and Wesley are already at the hospital. We should hurry.”

“Oh, they came there by themselves? We could’ve given them a ride.”

“Well if I had known you’d come to get me earlier the I’d already told them that you’re coming to pick them up. But since you called me so suddenly…yeah, you get the point.”

“…touché.” He blinked. Hope merely gave him a wink.

*******

“They’re taking too long…where are they?” Leina was walking back and forth inside the lobby of the hospital in angst. He wasn’t particularly happy.

“Leina, calm down and just sit. They’ll be here in time.” Wesley tried to calm his senses but it wasn’t working. He checked the time on his phone and it was already 10:30 AM. They were clearly going to arrive late.

“Gah! I can’t wait any longer! You can wait for the others, but I’m going on ahead.” Leina irritably walked off deeper into the crowd.

“Wait! Goddammit, Leina!” He quickly followed him from behind without risking to be separated from the flocks of mammals in there. They eventually met up again at the elevator.

“Don’t...run off like that...” Wesley was catching his breath.

“Sorry, but I really need to see Ken.” The elevator came and they both went inside before pressing the button for the third floor.

“I know, but slow down a bit! It’s not like he could go anywhere. Besides, what will the others say if they found out that we weren’t in the lobby waiting for them?”

“I’m sure they’ll understand. They’re taking too long anyways.” He said indifferently.

“Still...” He sighed, “Well, no use arguing about that now.”

The elevator finally stopped and they stepped out from it before searching for Ken’s room.

“What’s his number again?”

“Room 311, remember?”

“Oh yeah. It’s over...here.” Wesley went to the west side of the corridor and found the exact room.

“Nice job. Alright, here goes.” Leina knocked on the door.

 _“Come in! It’s unlocked!”_ The voice inside was unusually cheery. Leina’s face lit up as he opened the door excitedly, revealing Ken sitting on a bed while playing with his phone.

“Ken!” Leina closed in on him but Wesley was taking his time.

“Leina! And Wesley too! I was waiting for you guys. Where are the others?”

“They’re still on the way. How are you feeling?”

“Could be much better.” He chuckled, “The doctor said I’ll be fine as long as I don’t do any demanding physical activities that could make me tired fast. But it’s not like I’d do any of that in this condition.”

Wesley had gotten near Ken and was examining the wound on his leg that was wrapped with bandages, “How’s your leg? Can you still walk normally?”

“Um...that’s a bit blunt, don’t you think? But yeah, I tried to walk earlier and I can do it just fine, though a bit wobbly. It doesn’t hurt that much now, but painful enough to make me wince if it gets into an impact or something. You get my point.”

“I see. Well I hope it gets better.” He smiled that struck Ken as odd as he normally doesn’t do this. At least from what he’s seen from him.

“So when will you be released, Ken?” Leina asked from the sides. But just as Ken was about to answer the door opened and the same badger from last night entered while holding a clipboard in one of her paws.

“Oh look, the doc’s here.” Ken put away his phone while the others stood silently beside Ken’s bed.

“My, I didn’t expect people to come this early.” She said as she was writing on the clipboard, “I’m just taking some final notes before releasing Mr. Miller here.” She wrote for a while before putting the clipboard away, “Okay, you’re all set. But before you go, take this.” She produced a small blue-colored plastic bag with assortments of pills inside and gave it to Ken.

“What are these?”

“Antibiotics and painkillers, the usual stuff.” She said casually.

“Huh. Thanks, doctor.” He stored it in his pocket, “So…I suppose I can go with my friends now?”

“Of course! Now be very careful when stepping out from the bed, okay?”

Ken nodded and began placing his feet to the ground slowly and carefully. He then finally stood up with the help of the others. He followed the badger to the door by himself to test his walking capabilities; he could walk normally albeit at a slower pace. But it didn’t mind him at all nor his friends. They then finally left the room.

*******

The cruiser stopped in the parking lot in front of the hospital. Three mammals stepped out of the vehicle and saw the towering building. Hope took out his phone to check the time; it was 10:30 PM. They were obviously late, but he kept it to himself.

“C’mon, let’s go!” Hope run off towards the entrance of the hospital, leaving the two behind.

“Wait up!” Judy tried to stop him but it was too late.

“No use doing that, Carrots. Let’s just follow him.” Nick said and she just nodded.

Hope opened the double doors hurriedly but careful enough not to hit any mammals on the other side. He scouted around the lobby, trying to search for his friend among the crowd that he was supposed to meet. But he couldn’t find them so he walked forward to get a better vantage point. He still couldn’t find them, but he found someone else that surprised him, to say the least.

“Sophia! You’re here!” She was sitting on one of the benches.

“Oh! Hey, Hope!” He sat beside her, “Look, I’m sorry for yesterday. I had something important in my mind that’s been bugging me a lot so I had to leave.”

“Er, that’s alright. I don’t really mind since I figured it’s not normal for a person to be wandering with people they just met.”

“That’s not why I left, though…”

“Haha, I know.” He scratched his head, “Anyways though, have you seen Leina and Wesley? I was supposed to meet with them here but I couldn’t find them anywhere.”

“That’s the same case as me. I just arrived here recently and was supposed to meet them in this lobby as well.”

“Well, they might’ve gone ahead of us since we’re awfully late.” He said while he took out his phone to check the time.

“Hmm? Who is this?” Nick’s voice spoke out from behind the two. They turned around while feeling a bit startled by the sudden voice.

“Oh, thank God, you’re here. I thought you were someone else.” Hope sighed, “Her name’s Sophia, me and the others met her last night.”

“Oh? I wonder what that means…” His usual smirk was forming.

“Nick, cut it off.” Judy elbowed her.

“Ow! Jeez, Carrots. Can’t you be a bit gentler with me? I swear I’m like a punching bag to you.” He frowned.

“But you’re _my_ punching bag.” She hugged his arm but he only gave a shrug.

“…what was that? Anyways, Sophia, do you mind introducing yourself?”

“Um...yeah, no problem.”

She introduced herself along on how she met the others. She explained how Ken saved her from the shadow’s assault and their escape that soon led to a chase again. She also told them how she got dragged into an underground tunnel or subway; she couldn’t really tell. In the end, Ken had saved her and the others from danger.

“Ah. I see. Well, my name’s Judy Hopps, and this here is my partner, Nick Wilde. Nice to meet you, Sophia!”

“Likewise. I can’t believe you’re friends with members of the police, Hope.” She remarked.

“They’re actually Ken’s friends. I met them shortly after I met Ken.”

“Oh. But still, that’s pretty impressive.”

“Hey, hey, we’re normal persons too, you know.” Nick scoffed at them jokingly. They all laughed over the casual banter.

While they were still conversing to each other, the others were in the elevator, slowly descending from the third floor. It rang and the door opened, revealing the typical crowded lobby.

“They’re pretty late, aren’t they?” Ken half-asked them.

“They’re definitely late.” Leina confirmed his statement.

“Hey, just let it go.” Wesley walked forward a bit before noticing the others grouping up on a certain location, “Wait, they’re over there!” He pointed at them and the two followed the direction he was pointing.

“Well. About time they showed up.” Leina scoffed that made Ken giggle.

“Okay, let’s greet them then.” Ken said happily before heading to the direction they were on.

“Wha- Ken!?” Hope immediately took notice of the incoming company.

“Hehe, hi Hope. And wow, you guys are all here.”

“Of course! This is you we’re talking about.” Judy giggled.

“Wait, are you sure you’re fine to get out this early?” Hope asked worryingly.

“Uhuh. I just needed some stitches on my wound to prevent further bleeding.”

“Well, the important thing is that you’re fine. You saved our hides back then, after all.” Sophia smiled.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Nick asked out of the blue.

“Uhm, I’ll probably stay in my apartment. Kind of an obvious answer, don’t you think?”

“Heh, I’m just testing you, kid.” His usual smirk returned.

“Alright then… Oh, I almost forgot. Here’s your cardigan, Hope. The hospital had already washed it so it’s squeaky clean now.” Ken gave back the plastic-wrapped cardigan to him that he took from the doctor while on the way down.

“Oh…” He slowly took it before removing the plastic and wearing it. It smelled fragrant and nice, which made him happy inside. “…thanks. I expected it to be thrown away but here it is, with no trace of blood whatsoever.” He smiled.

“Thank the laundry department for that. I didn’t do anything to it, haha.” He scratched his head.

“That still doesn’t explain why you arrived late.” Leina started questioning them.

“Yeah…about that, Nick and Judy decided to pick me up and drive together, which I had no prior information. And that’s pretty much it.”

“I guess we were pretty late. Still, no biggie.” Nick said casually.

“I already told him that but you won’t believe how stubborn he is.” Wesley shook his head.

“Hey! It’s their fault for coming here late!”

“And? Does that help our case at all?”

“Um…”

“Exactly. It’s only a trivial matter.” He sighed.

“Stop it you two. We understand how he feels, but it’s not really good to be fed up over this. So let’s just drop this whole conversation.” Judy interrupted them, “Anyways, we have work to do over at the precinct so I’m going to drive you all to your own houses.”

“Actually, I think I’m going to be with Ken today. So just drop me along with them at Ken’s apartment.” Hope spoke up.

“Wait, I’ll come with you guys. I still haven’t said what I wanted to tell.” Sophia added.

“Well. So all of you are going to Ken’s place. Okay.” Judy blinked.

“Yeah…pretty much.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

They left the lobby and headed to Judy’s cruiser in the parking lot. The remaining five sat in the trunk of the car and they finally drove off into the main road.

They have a long day ahead of them.

* * *

**Remember how I said this chapter is going to be full of plots? Well, after seeing the current amount of words, I don’t think I can fill all of that into this single chapter before getting tired from all the proofreading if I actually typed them here. So I decided to put them in the next chapter, you can count me on it. Anyways, as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!**


	25. Insight

“Do you need anything before we go?” Judy asked as the others stepped out from the vehicle in front of Ken’s apartment building.

“I think we’re good.” Ken replied.

“Okay, we’re good to go then.”

“Take care of yourself, Ken.” Nick gestured. Ken only nodded before they finally took off.

“That was a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” Leina chuckled.

“It sure was.” Sophia joined.

“Anyways, let’s go inside. It’s getting hot here.” Ken said and they finally went into the building. Since there was nobody at the time, they headed straight into the elevator and rode it to the sixth floor. They immediately went inside Ken’s room after arriving at said floor. Ken sat on his bed while the others picked their own preferred spots.

“Oh, how I miss my bed…” Ken was enjoying himself.

“Um…that’s…uh…” Sophia was at a loss for words.

“Don’t mind him, he’s like that.” Leina chuckled.

“Anyways, though, what’s this about telling us something important?” Wesley was straight into the point.

“Oh yeah.” She cleared her throat, “Okay, so do you remember the note Hope found last night? Well, I remembered something…frightening after he read the contents.”

“What’s this about a note?” Ken was puzzled.

“Oh yeah, you were already brought to the hospital by Nick, weren’t you? Well, once I left you with him, I immediately chased down the shadow who was dragging Sophia and Leina. Thankfully there were scratch marks on the way so I could somehow get a sense of direction on where it might take you to. I ended up going inside an opening where an abandoned underground tunnel or subway or something like that resides.” Hope explained.

“Wow, um, that’s pretty weird to be dragged all the way there. What happened next?”

“I searched around there for a while since the marks had stopped somewhere inside. I followed which I assumed was Wesley’s voice and followed that direction until I found a three-way intersection. I took a left turn and found a really obscure door on an otherwise dead end. And that’s where I found the note and a case but I somehow lost it.”

“I mean, that’s neat and all, but what did the note say?”

“Yeah, of course.” He took out something out from his pocket; it was the note from yesterday. He then began to read it out loud for the others to hear. Ken, however, was rather calm the whole time, which Sophia found odd. But she never commented about it.

“Um… I think I get the gist of it.” He said calmly, “Basically the writer of this note was in a Reaper’s Game, whatever that is? And from what I understand, they’re trying to get out of there, right?”

“I think so.” Hope nodded, “You seemed pretty calm, though. Have you ever heard of these terms before?”

“I mean the contents of it ARE weird, no doubt about it. But I think…I may know who this _Reaper_ is-” Ken expected something to happen after mentioning that word, but nothing happened, which surprised him. The others were anticipating a continuation, but Sophia was visibly surprised which took Ken’s attention.

“Huh? What is it? Don’t leave us on the edge like that, geez…” Wesley scoffed.

“Ah, sorry. As I was saying, I think I know who this reaper is.” He started explaining how he heard a mysterious voice after dying in the human world, asking him if he wished to live. Naturally, he said yes, and he immediately found himself laying on top of a stained glass that was actually a large pedestal-like pillar with a lone door on one side of the pillar. The same voice echoed from nowhere again, telling if he wished to live then he need to go through the door. Ken coincidentally asked who this voice was, which he claimed to be Death, or otherwise known as the Reaper. From there he went through the door and ended up here, in Zootopia.

“Okay, hold on. How come I’ve never heard of this before?” Leina asked first after hearing his explanation.

“I…actually tried to. Remember when you guys first came here? I took you guys to the café and we talked for a while. And you also remember how I kinda had a seizure, right? Well, that happened as soon as I tried to say the word _Death_. I thought it’d be best not to mention it again, until now. Heck, I kinda expected something like that earlier when I was explaining, but nothing actually happened. So I guess…something _might’ve_ happened to that? I dunno…”

“Oh yeah, I remember! I got so worried back then…” Leina sighed.

“Haha, yeah, sorry about that.” He scratched his head.

“So what do you think about this…” They continued talking for a while. All except for Sophia; she went completely silent after hearing his explanation.

“Sorry, but…did you just say you’re from another world?” Sophia appeared distraught.

“Oh yeah, I never told you this, huh? Well since you already heard pretty much everything there is, lemme reclarify it for you.” He continued, “You see, I’m not originally from here. I came from another ‘world’, and let’s just say it’s pretty different from here. The thing is, I kinda died there but was brought here by the Reaper, as a second chance of living. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Leina and Wesley came from the same world as me, although they got with a different method.” He expected her to have a ‘shocked’ reaction, but she only blinked casually over his story.

“I see. Well, this is unexpected, I’ve never thought of meeting a bunch of people from the human world here.” She chuckled, “I’m from the same world as well. Nice to meet you all, I guess.” She smiled awkwardly which took all of them by surprise.

“ Whoa, really!?” Wesley was shocked the most.

“Yup. I was going to tell you this along with the note Hope brought. But I have a small doubt on Ken’s story…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You said when you died you were taken to a place with a door, and when you went through it you were turned into a fox and found yourself in Zootopia, right? Well, that wasn’t exactly the same as my case. I’ll tell you everything.” The others’ ears perked out as they listened to Sophia’s story.

* * *

Everything was blank and white. Nothingness surrounded me.

_“Is this really what it’s like to die?”_

That was the question that pops into my head when I came to after drinking that poison.

Reality is harsh. The law of “Only the strong survives” really does apply to our world. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those ‘strong’ guys. After failing the mathematics exam for the third time this year, I started wondering what good do I still have left in myself. The studies were tough and I cannot keep up. My classmates aced their exams gracefully with ease, while I’m struggling just to get above the average. My parents, of course, were not pleased about that. My mom is an astrological researcher and my dad  works as an economic consultant for big firms. Needless to say, all of them graduated with Summa Cum Laude, literally meaning “With the highest praise” in Latin. My sister, Aphiso, is a soon to be Honor Student as well. Me? I’m struggling to finish high school.

The pressure was too much. It was a very bad day for me. Perhaps the worst I’ve encountered ever since I opened my eyes to this world. That was when my stupidity blinded me and made me do something stupid that I will forever regret…

“I see you are awake.”

A voice greeted me who is lying still on the floor. Suddenly, I felt myself rising up. I tried looking left and right, but I cannot do it. My body is moving by itself!

When I finally got up standing, I met a person wearing an all-black attire. His eyes were cold and lifeless. Yet, it seems so sad. Maybe he is regretting something he did. Just like me.

“Welcome to the underworld.” he said.

I knew it. I’m really dead.

Before I drank the poison, I felt despair covering my heart. Everything was so dark and I cannot see what is in front of me. However, right after those drops flow down my throat, suddenly those feelings turned into fear. Tears start flowing down my eyes as I choke from the poisonous substance. I didn’t want to die…

“I see you have some regret before you die.” the man said. At this point, I can feel myself moving again, so I gave him a nod in response.

“When people die and come down here, I offer them a ‘choice’ to escape death.” said the man. Those words made my eyes wide opened and filled my heart with hope.

“Escape…death?”

“That’s right,” the man replied, “you will have to play a game.”

“Game?”

“We called it ‘The Reaper’s Game’. We Reapers give you severe tasks. If you are able to clear all of them, then you will be able to get your life back.” said the man.

“I…Is this true!? I can go back to my world!?”

“That is right. But however,” the man’s face turned more serious, “the tasks are very tough. You will need perseverance, bravery, but most importantly, the strongest desire to claim your prize.”

Perseverance.

Bravery.

Strongest desire to live.

“Sounds easy to me.” I thought.

“Very well. Just go through this door and you will officially start the game. I wish you the best of luck, you’ll need it.” The man said and gestured to the door behind him; it was pure black, save for the handle.

“I…thank you.” I began walking to the door but he never responded. I turned the handle and went through the door, enveloping myself into the darkness within.

Not long after that, I already found myself in a meadow field of some sort. There were greens as far as my I could see, if only for a few fifty meters. I looked around and spotted a lone door at one side of the place. I don’t even know what this place is. I advanced towards it and examined a bit before actually opening it. It had something plastered over it, and the door was slightly ajar. I opened it anyways and was met with a rather pleasant view. Right ahead of me was a dirt pathway that continued into the distance while grassy plains with scattered flowers were resting beside it. I looked up to see a completely black sky, sending me chills down my spine. It was neither night nor day there, but it was dark enough to assume that it was night, but not too terribly dark.

As soon as I pass through the door, my phone rang violently that startled me in the process. I took it out and saw a new incoming message.

_Welcome to The Reaper’s Game! In this game, your wits will be tested to their fullest. You will face many foes throughout this game, and you need to team with the other players who are playing the same game. Please refer to the tutorials inside your phone. You will be given missions periodically which you must fulfill, or there will be severe consequences. Will you be able to take your prize, a second chance in life? It’s you who’ll decide everything you do._

_“…that’s it? No explanation whatsoever? What kind of game is this anyways?”_ I sighed and closed the message. I searched for the ‘tutorials’ that were supposedly be installed on my phone while walking along the dirt pathway.

Holy hell there were lots of them.

_“Anomalies, Party Link, Abilities, Experience…this really is a game, isn’t it? I have a lot to go through…”_

Not long after skimming through these tutorials, a city of sorts began to appear in the distance. I put my phone away and quickened my pace to see what’s up ahead.

It was a very big city.

I was mesmerized by it. The variety of structures of the city was simply jarring. But…there was nobody in sight. It was like a ghost town. I guess you don’t get to see people in the underworld, huh?

 _“Okay…first things first. I need to find a player to establish a link so I can use my ‘abilities’. I don’t even know what mine is, but let’s just hope it’s simple enough.”_ I looked around before walking deeper into the city with my newfound will. I’ll do anything to get a second chance in life. _Anything._

I will get through this.

* * *

 

“…and that’s how it went. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that, but it’s irrelevant to what my point is. Basically, people who died at my time were supposed to enter The Reaper’s Game. But you…you were taken straight to Zootopia, right?”

Ken took a full minute to register all that came out from her before replying, “U-um, yeah. The voice never mentioned anything about a game.”

“That’s what I find it weird about your story. How did you not get into the game while we did?”

“I…don’t know…”

“Wait a second. Ken’s case aside, how did you get out from that Reaper’s Game? Did you successfully finish it? If you did, then how are you in Zootopia right now? Aren’t you supposed to be back in the human world?” Wesley chimed in and threw a flurry of questions at her.

“I…” She hesitated for a bit, “I didn’t exactly ‘finish’ it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see, I’m actually the author of that note.” All of them were surprised at her announcement.

“Really!? Why didn’t you say something back there then?” Hope was more and more in confusion.

“That’s the thing. I couldn’t say anything about that, or rather, my body wouldn’t let me. That’s why I left earlier yesterday.”

“I see. But that still doesn’t answer all of my questions.”

“Yeah. So after I used the crystal that was inside the case I mentioned in the note, I found myself on the fifth level of the game. I think I was the one who made it first there as I couldn’t find anyone to establish a Party Link with. Maybe the Reapers’ weren’t expecting someone to come to the final level so soon, so that’s why there weren’t any Anomalies either.”

“Hold on. I forgot to ask, but based on what I’m hearing, the game was situated inside Zootopia, right?”

“Yes. The ‘stage’ of the game was this city. Don’t ask me why.”

“I won’t. And one last thing, I assume you were already familiar with the Anomalies?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Nothing. Carry on.”

“Um, okay…” She coughed, “So since I couldn’t find anything or anyone, I wandered aimlessly around the city until I found a building that I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to enter. But since I didn’t know anything, I entered it like any other building I did. The interior of the room was so off-putting than the other ones that I’ve seen. It was bleached in white and there was like a receptionist table with a corridor extending to the back on the side. Of course, nobody was there so I wandered down the corridor and eventually I was met with a door at the end of the corridor. I tried to open it but it was locked. Strangely, though, there was no keyhole on the door. Then the crystal I took suddenly emanated from my pocket; it was glowing ever so brightly. I took it out and it shattered once it made contact with the door. Then the door opened by itself; I pushed it all the way and there I found…another door, inside a blank room. I thought it was locked as well so I jokingly tried to open it, but surprisingly it opened without much effort. I had figured that it the inside was going to be the same as the last one: another door within, but what showed up was darkness. I couldn’t see anything past that door, and I had doubts on actually entering it, but eventually I did and I was enveloped in darkness once more.”

“…what happened next?” Leina asked nervously.

“I think I passed out after that. I wasn’t sure how long, but I found myself in the same place I first came in Zootopia once I woke up. This time, everything was colored. The sky was brilliant blue the sun was brightly shining. I also noticed that I’ve been turned into an anthropomorphic deer, which I got confused the most. I checked my phone and everything related to the game was gone. There weren’t any traces of it whatsoever. I thought that I’ve finished the game since there weren’t any more messages regarding the game, so I exited the place and followed the dirt pathway once again towards the city. I was so surprised that the city was filled with anthropomorphic animals that were doing what humans’ supposed to do. It was so…lively that it was a bit unsettling. Nevertheless, using the knowledge of the city layout I’ve gained from the game, I traveled to a place where the players could rest. It has become an apartment building now, apparently, but I had a key to my room where I used to rest and it actually worked. I’ve been living there since then. And yeah, that’s how I got into Zootopia.”

“That was a very detailed explanation…are you sure you wanted us to hear all of this?” Ken was hesitant.

“Yes. I’ve been thinking a lot about this yesterday and I decided to tell you guys everything.”

“If you say so. Alright, what’s next?”

“I have questions about you two’s ‘method’ of coming here. What is it, exactly?” Sophia was asking questions now. Leina explained how they received an envelope from a person wearing an all-black attire that contained instructions of a ritual to be sent here. They attempted the ritual and they were successfully sent here.

“Wait. About the person who gave you the envelope, you said he was wearing all blacks, right? Was his hair red as well? I think it might be the same person as the one I met when I died.”

“I didn’t really notice, sorry.”

“Wait, his hair WAS red, yeah!” Wesley backed Leina.

“I see. Then he undoubtedly the same person. I wonder what he’s doing in the human world…heck, who exactly is he?”

“I thought he was a reaper as well?” Ken spoke out.

“Could be, yeah. From what we’ve been through, we can safely say that he’s one.”

“Okay, going back to the matter at hand, I’m actually curious on why I didn’t enter The Reaper’s Game. Not just me, but Chris and Ashley as well?”

“Who?”

“They’re our friends that were from the human world as well. They didn’t enter any game when they died, well, at least from what I heard from them.”

“Whoa, that’s cool. I never thought of there being more people from our world here..”

“Yeah, you’ll never know. Anyways, how long have you been in Zootopia, Sophia?”

“It’s been two and a half years if memory serves me correctly.”

“Whoa, you’ve been here for a long time! Even Chris and Ashley were only for a year. Not to mention me, I’ve been here for only two weeks, haha.”

“So I guess you’ve been here recently, huh? What about you guys?”

“Pretty much the same. We just got here two days ago.” Wesley answered.

The talk continued for a while before Ken noticed Hope being silent, “What’s wrong, Hope?”

“Ah, um, nothing. I just think that I don’t have anything useful to contribute since I’m not very familiar with these stories you guys are telling.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Sophia was curious.

“Uh, I’m not from this ‘human world’ you’re talking about. I’ve been in Zootopia for as long as I live.”

“Oh. Er, sorry, I didn’t know…”

“No, that’s okay. That’s why I didn’t want to speak in the first place.”

“Speaking of which, though, doesn’t it make you a true Zootopian or something?”

“Haha, I agree with Wesley.” Leina giggled.

“Hey, there are many people who had lived in Zootopia longer than me, you know.” He scratched his head and everyone laughed at it.

“Okay, so is that all you wanted to say, Sophia?”

“Yeah. I’m glad I’ve let this out from my system.”

“Haha, you’re welcome. But what are you going to do now?”

“Honestly? I’ve been searching for my friends the whole time I’m here, and I’m still going to do it. But of course, life comes first. Y’know, school and stuff.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Ken gave a nod, “I wonder what happened to The Reaper’s Game, though. I’m still on why I didn’t enter the game instead. Did something happen to it?”

“I have no idea.” She shook her head.

“Oh, Ken, I almost forgot. I need to tell you something important as well.” Leina suddenly spoke up.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“We…we’re gonna go back home soon.”

* * *

 

**Ta-da! Juicy plots for you that probably won’t ever make it into the story again! Had a bit of struggle trying to write this particular chapter, hence the delay. But I’ve done it! The next chapter is pretty plot-y as well, so try stick around! But anyways, as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!**


	26. Revisitation

Leina and Wesley expected something more ‘shocking’-like from Ken’s expression after he told him that they were going to go back to the human world, but he had stayed calm at Leina’s sudden words.

“I understand. You can’t be in here for too long, can you? I mean, you still have your families and all. They all would be worried if their children were suddenly gone.” He said rather elaboratively.

“I…never expected that response.” Wesley blinked.

“I’ve been thinking about this too you know, so I kinda anticipated you guys saying this. I’d also say the same thing if I were you. Not to mention our current situation where the anomalies are currently peaking.”

“Ken, are you sure?” Leina was hesitant.

“Uhuh. I have friends here, so even if you eventually leave, I’d still have company. Besides, I’m not your boss or anything; you can go back whenever you want. But it’s nice that you’ve actually told us beforehand.”

“That was my number one priority, so don’t you worry about that.” He chuckled, “But yeah, thanks. I’m really glad I could meet you again here, Ken. I don’t know what’d happen if I hadn’t seen you. I’d probably become a completely different person from who I am now.”

“Don’t make sound so dramatic, sheesh.” Wesley sighed.

“But it’s true. And of course, I’d like to thank you too, Wesley.”

“Huh?”

“I wouldn’t have gotten here if it weren’t for you standing up for me that day. It really means a lot to me, as a friend.”

“Oh, uh, I guess…” He was uncertain, “…no. You have my thanks as well. If I hadn’t talked to you too then I’d probably be still a loner at school. But I’ve gained friends after all these happened, so it really means much to me too.” He made a sincere smile.

“Aww…c’mere, you deserve a hug.” He said smugly and started walking to him and suddenly hugged him.

“H-hey! Cut it out, this is embarrassing!” He tried to get out from the bigger mammal’s grip but to no avail. He simply let out a sigh of defeat which made all of them laugh.

“Sorry to butt in to your little “pow-wow”, but how do you actually go back to the human world? This is the first time I’ve heard people came here without directly facing _Death_ after all. Or any human that came here in that matter.” Sophia interjected.

“Okay…” Wesley took an extra step away from Leina, “Basically, we need to do the ritual in reverse. Like putting the paper scraps we have back together while chanting the same words from before.”

“That’s pretty straightforward. Are you sure it’ll work, though?”

“It _did_ take us here, so it wouldn’t make sense if it won’t take us back.”

“I guess you’re right. But still, I can’t help but feel creeped out about that.”

“Speaking of which, when will you actually perform this ritual of yours?” Hope asked.

“I’ve talked with Leina and we agreed to do it tonight if all goes well.”

“What do you wanna do in the meantime, though? I don’t think you wanna stay in my room all day, do you?”

“Well, no, but isn’t it safer to stay indoors for the time being? Do you remember what happened with yesterday?” His gaze landed on Ken’s bandaged foot.

“…yes. But that’s because we were coming home too late. Besides, if we wouldn’t have met Sophia if any of that didn’t happen.”

“That’s not my point…but eh, I don’t mind going anywhere as long as it’s safe. I don’t want anyone to get hurt again.” Wesley was solemn.

“Oh? What happened to mister grumpypants earlier?” Hope said teasingly. Wesley only sighed.

“How about the Sahara Square? I know some pretty cool places there, and there’s this really one BIG resort. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting!” Sophia butted in.

“Sahara Square, huh? I haven’t been there myself, so sure, why not?” Ken was enthusiastic.

“I see no problems with that. It’ll be fun, but let’s not wander off too long once we’re there.” Leina agreed.

“I’m with Leina. I’m sure you’re fine as well, right Hope?”

“U-uh, yeah… I’ve never been there too so I guess that’s okay…?”

“Well, I’m gonna go change then. Be right back.” Ken stood up from his bed and went to his wardrobe before going inside the bathroom while carrying a set of clothes. The others continued their conversations in the meantime.

Inside the bathroom, Ken was staring into his reflection at a mirror for a time.

 _“I…I have to be strong. I’ve anticipated this, hadn’t I? They have to go back to their homes someday. I need to let them go.”_ He took a long sigh before removing his clothes. He then took a towel and rinsed it with water before scrubbing it to his fur across his body while keeping a distance from the bandaged wound. After that, he dried himself with a towel for a little before putting on his new clothes. He was now wearing a short-sleeved red jacket over a black shirt and green cargo pants with a black storage pack hanging from a black belt over his left leg, not forgetting to drape his usual striped blue scarf over. He finally left the bathroom after making sure he’s finished.

“Alright, I’m done.” He announced and was met with stares from Sophia and Hope, “…what? Is something on my face?”

“N-no, I’m just surprised by your attire, that’s all.” Sophia said reluctantly.

“Hmm? Is something wrong about it?” He tried to inspect them.

“It’s like, very unusual if you know what I mean. I rarely see those kinds of outfits outside from conventions and such.”

“I think it’s pretty cool. I like the fresh look.” Hope commented.

“Hey, isn’t this what you used to wear back in the human world?” Leina recalled something.

“Yup, I really like this combination in particular.”

“Dresses aside, when are we actually leaving?” Wesley spoke up.

“Just a second…” He took out his phone and began typing rapidly before putting it away.

“What was that?”

“Nothing important.” He made a wink, “Alright, I guess we can go now. Everyone ready?” He asked and everyone nodded in agreement. They headed out from the room one by one with Ken being last to lock the door and they finally left the building, going to a nearby bus station.

*******

Nick and Judy had been driving to the ZPD for a while after dropping their passengers back at Ken’s apartment. Nick was busy with his phone while Judy had something on her mind that made her expression to falter, which he took notice.

“What’s wrong, Carrots? You do know that you are driving, right?”

“Oh! Sorry…” She shook her head.

“Something on your mind?”

“Sort of. While I’m happy to see the others doing fine, I can’t help but keep remembering about our previous case. You know, where the tigers suddenly disappeared and all.”

“That again? Geez, Carrots. As I said before, don’t you worry too much about it, it’s not our case anymore. Heck, you should be happy that we got resigned from it, I don’t wanna deal with any mumbo-jumbo again.”

“I know, but…I just can’t let this one slip away, you know? I just can’t.”

Nick took a long sigh, “I know how you feel carrots, but shouldn’t we just leave this one out? Besides, even if we do take on the case again, we’ll end up by having no leads or something like that.”

“About that…I think I might have one.”

“Come again?”

“I think I might have a lead on where the tigers are, thanks to Hope.”

“What does Hope have anything to do with this?”

“I…kinda _interrogated_ him last night. While he never said it directly, I asked him if the mammals they went to yesterday at the Rainforest District were tigers. He was hesitating to answer, I could tell it from his expression. So I think that might be something to think about.”

Nick blinked for a moment, “You…what? Okay, first off, even if they _are_ tigers, what makes you think that it’d be them? There are _tons_ of tigers in Zootopia. Second, I don’t think Hope and the others have any relations to them and this case whatsoever.”

“I know, but we can’t rule that out just yet, right? And you wanted a lead, so here’s your lead. What do you say?”

Nick full-paused for a while before sighing in defeat, “I guess it’s as good as any. Okay then, you lead the way.”

“That’s the Nick I know.” She smirked and immediately changed their direction towards the Rainforest District.

*******

“Did you bring an umbrella?” Nick asked after coming out from the tunnel that led into the Rainforest District.

“Of course, I’ve prepared everything for this trip.” She smirked.                    

“…sometimes I question your sanity, Carrots.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They continued driving for a while until they reached the district’s train station. From there Judy gave the umbrella to Nick and they both got out from the car, with Nick holding the umbrella for them.

“This is a little too big for a bunny, don’t you think?” He smirked.

“Don’t question it, just go.”

“But where do you think these _tigers_ might be?”

“They mentioned something about a gondola last night, right? Why don’t we check that out in the meantime?”

“There are tons of them here, though.”

“Let’s go to the nearest one, they couldn’t have gone that far after stepping out from the station.”

“That’s true. Okay, let’s go.”

They proceeded to go to the nearest gondola after accessing the map from Judy’s phone; it was a pretty winding road but their spirit didn’t falter. Soon they crossed to where the Gondola was.

“We’re here…?” Judy said as she began to check around.

“Don’t wander around too much, now. You’ll catch a cold!”

“I know!”

Nick shrugged and went to investigate on his own. He searched for any tracks that might’ve been around there but found none so far, mainly because it’s been a day since Ken and Co’s last visit there.

“Hey, isn’t this the place where we got chased by Mr. Manchas?” Judy shouted from where she was.

“Oh, yeah. We almost got killed by him, though.”

“No kidding. It probably was the most heart-clenching chase I’ve ever felt.”

“Hey, Carrots, I’m gonna look around farther from here, do you mind?”

“Go ahead, I’ll contact you if I find something interesting!”

“Same. Don’t do anything stupid now!” He winked and went forward past the gondola towards the row of shacks in the distance. He figured he’d ask the residents here if they had seen anything related to the tigers they’re searching.

Arriving at the first shack at the right, he noticed that it was _altered_ and was very distinct from the others in the vicinity. It made him intrigued even more and he proceeded to knock on the door, expecting an out-of-place mammal to live there.

“I’ll be there in just a second!” A feminine voice sounded from inside the shack which made Nick take a step back.

 _“Let’s just ask her and get this over with.”_ He thought as he took out his phone. The door opened soon after, revealing a tiger wearing a blue denim over a purple shirt and black shorts.

“Sorry for the wait! What can I do for…you…!?”

Nick was still looking at his phone, “Excuse me, ma’am. I’m officer Wilde from the ZPD.” He slowly lifted his head from his phone, “Have you seen any suspicious tigers around…here…?” His eyes met with hers and immediately stopped his words. A smirk began to turn on his face instead, “Bingo.” The door immediately closed on his face.

 _“You’re not getting away that easily.”_ He thought and immediately called Judy to explain his situation. She then quickly broke into a run and followed Nick’s trails.

Nick tried to open the door but unsurprisingly it was locked. Holding his tranq gun at bay, he began to kick the door open. Fortunately, the door had a few rotting hinges here and there so it only took him a few tries for it to be thrown open. As he readied his stance, he moved warily deeper inside the house. A kitchen was visible on the right side of while the living room on the left. Rooms were interconnected without any doors there.

Sensing that she could be hiding inside a room at the back near the living room, he quickly headed there, eyes still wary of his surroundings. He eventually found her while she was hanging up from a call on her phone and she quickly jumped out of the window next to her as soon as she saw him. He looked at her momentarily before he radioed Judy to intercept her from the flank and he resumed his chase.

“By the name of the ZPD, stop at where you are, Miss!” Nick shouted from behind but the tiger ignored it and kept running ahead.

Nick saw a sign that read ‘Vine St.’ in front of him. Smirking, he waited for the right moment and yelled, “Carrots, now!!”

Nick’s scream took her by surprise and Judy leaped out from the sides, tackling her and effectively disabled her movements. Judy immediately handcuffed her while still pinning her to the ground.

“You’re a slippery one aren’tcha? Don’t worry, you’ll be joining the rest of your _crew_ soon.”

“You don’t understand! We did it for the good of Zootopia!”

“Pfft, what? By releasing prisoners outta jail? Yeah, right. You have the right to remain silent, ma’am.”

“Good job, Carrots!” Nick finally caught up to them.

“Where’s the other one?”

“Other one? She was the only resident there.”

“There were two tigers, remember? Now, where is he?” She started interrogating.

“I don’t know…”

“I thought as much that it won’t be this easy.” She moved out of the way, “In the meantime, let’s bring her to the cruiser. I’m getting soaked out here.”

“Agreed.”

They helped the tiger get up and brought her along with them towards where they parked their cruiser, which was pretty far away from them. But they didn’t care; they have gotten what they originally wanted.

**Meanwhile…**

Appearing from thin air, Chris arrived at his house immediately as soon as he got a call from his sister telling him that the cops are finally onto them. The front door was broken open and there were no sounds coming from the house.

 _“Dammit, I shouldn’t have left her alone!”_ He gritted his teeth as he entered his now-raided house. Tracks all led to his bedroom so he quickly went there. Only a curtain swayed by the wind on a lonely window greeted him. He looked out the window to see where they had gone; pawprints were scattered in one direction, which was south. He vaulted over the window at the last second as he chased the tracks left by his sister.

Soon after, he finally saw his sister being accompanied by a rabbit and a fox as he hid behind foliage of massive trees. _“No…I was too late…”_

He clenched his paws, _“No! I can just teleport to her and bring us somewhere safe again!”_ He thought as his gaze landed on them once again, _“…that won’t work. They’re having physical contact with her. If I do it, then they all will be teleported with me. I can’t risk that. I need to wait for the right moment.”_

He kept following them until they arrived near the station of the district. Narrowing his eyes, he saw them putting his sister in the trunk of a vehicle before getting inside themselves.

 _“They must be going to the precinct…”_ He thought as he saw the vehicle drove towards the tunnel that connected Rainforest District with Savannah Central.

He looked at the distance with newfound determination, _“Don’t worry Ashley. I’m coming for ya.”_

* * *

**Well. That was an interesting turn of events. But first of all, I do apologize for the delay, finals were really taking a toll on me and I had to cope with the aftermath. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this week’s new update! And I have a surprise for you guys in the next chapter, so be sure to stick around! Good night!**


	27. Fulfilment, Part 1

**And bam! Just like that, the year of 2016 ended. And now, we welcome our next year, 2017! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year guys! We finally did it! Even though a lot of influential people passed away and things haven’t been going in our favor, all things considered, we’re still alive and well, aren’t we? So let’s keep that going! Cheers! Here’s hoping for a better year!**

* * *

The group finally arrived at Sahara Square’s central station after going by bus to Metro Station back in Savannah Central. Rays of sunlight shone through the train’s windows as the doors opened and the flock of mammals began to pour out from it.

“Here we are, Sahara Square! Mammals from all over the city come here for leisure and recreational purposes. There are casinos, high-end shops, and of course, the world-famous Palm Hotel! It gets pretty crazy at nighttime as well!” Sophia introduced excitingly.

“But holy hell it’s hot, though.” Hope began to fan himself.

“What did you expect…?” Wesley shook his head.

“It _is_ pretty hot when we’re standing in the open like this. Let’s find some shade or something.” Ken suggested.

“We could go straight to the Palm Hotel if you want to cool yourselves down.”

“I don’t think I can walk there, though… Can we ride a bus or something?”

“Well, we can ride the Camel Cabbies around here.”

“Camel…Cabbies?” Leina tilted his head.

“Think of it as a taxi, but ran by camels.”

“Ah, okay, that makes sense.”

“We need two cars then.” Wesley spoke up.

“Correct. There’s a place where we can _rent_ those. It should be somewhere near the station… ah, there it is.” Her gaze landed on a building across the street with a large parking lot filled with cabs beside it.

“It looks pretty convincing...” Hope was unsure.

“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s go!” Ken sprinted off to the building’s direction and the others promptly followed him. They arrived shortly after, given that the building was nearby. Ken opened the door and was met with a variety of mammals inside the lobby. Though the cool breeze from the air conditioners did cool themselves off.

“This feels much better.” Hope was enjoying himself.

Leina came in last, closing the door behind him. “Oh wow, it sure is crowded here.”

Sophia scouted for an empty seat among the mammals in front of them and found a row of it with a lone hyena sitting at the end of the row. “I see some available seats ahead. Let’s head there.” She started walking to the right side of the room.

“Excuse me, sir. Can we sit here?” Ken politely asked the sitting hyena who looked like he was spacing out. He was wearing a light blue t-shirt with a dark gray jacket and blue denim jeans.

“Huh? Oh, of course! This is a public facility, after all.” The hyena that seems to be in his early twenties said startlingly.

“Thanks.” The others started taking their seats correspondingly, with Ken sitting next to the hyena while Wesley at the other end of the bench.

“Alright, I’ll go queue up with them. You guys stay here, okay?”

“Roger!” Hope said cheerfully as she went deeper into the line.

Ken absent-mindedly took out his phone to check the time while the others continued their conversation; it was around 2 PM.

_“Hmm... I wonder what Nick and Judy are doing... I should probably tell them about Leina and Wesley’s plans to go back to the human world. Perhaps Chris and Ashley as well...”_

“...Ken! Hey, Ken!” Leina snapped him out from his thoughts.

“Hmm…? What is it?”

“I was asking if you wanted a drink. Well, do you?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” He stood up and went to the nearest vending machine.

Ken then started to stare at the queue in front of him. Despite the amount of people lining up, the actual queue was rather fast. Sophia was already in the middle of the line.

 _“Why do I feel so…empty?”_ He looked down, _“I…I have to be strong. They’ll eventually leave Zootopia, but I have Hope and Sophia here, so why do I feel this way…? Something’s bugging me…”_

The hyena next to him asked, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine! Sorry, I just have something on my mind. Thanks for the concern, though.”

“Phew, I thought you were depressed or something, haha.” His strange chuckle made Ken narrow his eyes in confusion, “…sorry, I’m not good at making conversation with strangers.”

“I can see that.”

“Yeah…” He was getting rather anxious.

“Hey, don’t worry too much about it!” He saw the anxiousness in his eyes and tried to divert the conversation, “What’s your name? Mine’s Ken, Ken Miller.”

“Erm…my name’s Andrew Hena.” He started to relax, “You can just call me Andy.”

“Well, nice to meet you then, Andy!” He offered his paw and the hyena reluctantly shook it.

“I’m back!” The grey-furred wolf came running while carrying three cans of beverage. He handed them out and sat down.

“Thanks, Leina!” Hope cheered.

He chuckled, “No problem! I was getting thirsty anyways.”

“Wouldn’t hurt to have a cold drink…” He took a sip of his beverage.

Ken stared at his own for a moment before turning to Andy, “Here, you can have mine.”

“Um, I can’t possibly take that…”

“No, I insist. I don’t like soft drinks anyway.” He smiled and the hyena took it hesitantly before thanking the fox. He turned back and looked down to the floor again.

 _“I can’t believe I’m talking to a stranger right now, let alone making coherent sentences. I wouldn’t normally do this if I hadn’t come to this city and meet all these amazing people. It is quite the change for me. I think…I think I can do this.”_ He raised his head, eyes full of determination.

Sophia returned from the queue. "I finally got our cabs!"

“Sweet. That was pretty fast, too.” Wesley remarked.

“Yeah, things go rather quickly in here due to popular demand. Alright, let’s go through the side door, it’ll lead us to the parking lot.”

“Okay.” They all got up and started walking to said door one by one with Ken being last.

“Well, I hafta get going now. See you later, Andy!” He made a quick goodbye before following his friends.

“Goodbye.” He smiled as they all left.

*******

Ken, Leina, and Hope all got into the same car while Wesley and Sophia rode on another one. They’d decided to go to the heart of the district: The Palm Hotel. Ken had gotten out from his _phase_ and was actively talking with his friends, occasionally cracking a joke here and there.

“Hey, Wesley. Do you think I should continue searching for the reaper?” Sophia suddenly asked out of nowhere.

“Huh? Why the sudden question?”

“I just think that you’re the wisest of the bunch, so I wanted your thoughts on this.”

“Heh, thanks for the compliment, but I’m not really sure on your case. My take is you should follow what your heart tells you as this is your own problem and all.”

She giggled, “You’re right. I will continue my search for him. And my friends too if I’m lucky. Thanks, Wesley.” She smiled.

“No problem.”

Their conversation continued as they traveled towards their destination. Wesley had started to open up his emotions to others besides Leina and it made him really happy that he could do that without being pressured, which he had always feared, no thanks to his parents.

An enormous figure appeared quickly on the horizon, revealing an immense building in the shape of a palm tree.

“Whoa! It’s huge!”

“Yup. Welcome to The Palm Hotel! It heights over three hundred meters and it’s the most popular hotel and casino of Zootopia!”

“No kidding. I can already imagine that.” Wesley was practically sticking his face to the car’s window.

The car they were in was behind the others’ as it looped around the walls surrounding the tree to the entrance. They weren’t exactly walls, but rather rows of giant bushes. Nonetheless, it proved to be a quite effective teaser. The cars then finally got to the front of the hotel.

The main building; the palm tree, resided in the center of a vast yard scattered with pools and ponds with lesser buildings surrounding the tree at its back. The surroundings were very tropical-looking, greens were everywhere including giant plants and the like. It was a grandiose scene overall.

The cars soon arrived at the entrance and they all stepped out of their rides. They said their thanks to their drivers before walking towards the lobby doors. After admiring how beautiful the scenery was, they finally went inside the building, the group met with an even more stunning view.

Exotic was the first word that came to their minds. There are indoor trees and pools of water scattered around the lobby, creating a very oasis-like feeling, not to mention the huge number of mammals inside. The decorations consisted of jungle-like objects, such as vines and mosses. The whole interior was exhilaratingly lavish.

“Well, here we are! The Palm Hotel, Zootopia’s most famous resort!”

“Holy bananas…” Ken’s jaw dropped.

“Um…are you sure we’re supposed to be here? This is too…luxurious to be true.” Hope looked around anxiously.

“C’mon now, you’re embarrassing us by this…whatever it is you’re doing.” Wesley said as he looked around as well.

“It looks pretty neat so far.” Leina said with a straight face.

“Okay, you all can explore this place or do whatever you want as long as it’s around here. We’ll meet up in this lobby afterward once you’re finished, preferably around…” She glanced at her wristwatch, “3 PM. Sounds good?”

“Sure, that’s a pretty good idea!” Ken was getting excited.

“Alright, I’ll see you all later then.” Sophia started walking away and eventually they all dispersed one by one to go on their separate paths.

Ken decided to explore the bottom floor with Hope, while Leina went to check the array of casinos at the back of the hotel. Wesley was ascending to the many floors of the building using the elevators and experienced a view that he would never forget. And finally, Sophia was out in the resort yard, taking a stroll in the midst of the glaring sun and cool breeze of the wind.

This was probably the most breathtaking day of their lives.

* * *

**Okay, this chapter is pretty short overall, and it probably serves as a reminder of sorts instead of a real chapter update. But I’m happy with what I’ve written thus far nonetheless. And for the surprise I’ve been talking about, well, I’m afraid it’s going to be delayed until the next chapter. I apologize for that, but I can’t control what’s outside of my reach. But I’ve temporarily changed the cover for this story to a more “related” one, and that’s a part of the surprise I have for you readers so keep an eye out for the next chapter! But anyways, as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!**

**(Andy I. Hena belongs to Mr_Andy51.)**


	28. Fulfilment, Part 2

**Before we start on this chapter, I will show you the special "surprise" I've been telling you the past few chapters... They're concept arts for our main characters! Yup, I went my way and commissioned a bunch of artists to portray Ken, Leina, Hope, and Wesley. They've really done a great job in doing so and I truly appreciate their efforts. So props to them! Images are linked below. (Open them in a new tab for original resolution!)**

**[Ken Miller, by Quirky-Middle-Child and Ruffu]**

                                                                                                              

  
**[Leina Streisand, by Ruffu]**

  
**[Hope Snowbell, by Temiree]**

                                                                                                      

**  
[Wesley Bright, by H-StallionWolf]**

** **

 

**And that's all. So without further ado, enjoy this next installation of the story!**

* * *

Sophia had already explored the Palm Hotel thoroughly, long when she was still inside The Reapers Game. She was doing a mission with her dear friend Auria and they ended up getting into the next level after eliminating a handful of Anomalies within the hotel. It was one of their greatest achievements.

_“Auria… I swear I will find you someday.”_

*crash*

The deer fell backward after she absentmindedly bumped into another mammal walking towards her direction.

 _“Ow…”_ She picked herself up, “I’m so sorry! Let me help you get up…” She lent her hoof to the familiar hyena.

“…thanks. Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He brushed his clothes after getting up rather coolly.

“…hey, didn’t we meet you at the office earlier?”

“Oh… Yeah! You were with that fox, Ken, was it? Either way, it’s a surprise meeting you here. I don’t see your friends anywhere, though.”

“They’re out exploring this place on their own since it’s their first time coming here. Two of them are going back to their hometown after all, so they wanted to spend their last times together.”

“Um, shouldn’t someone experienced be with them since it’s their first time here?”

“They’ll be fine. They’re…strong, to say the least.”

“Um, okay. Putting that aside, I assume some of them aren’t from here according to your statement earlier?”

“Correction, _all_ of them aren’t originally from here.”

“Whoa, that’s cool. Who would’ve thought I’d get to see a foreigner. Oh, my name’s Andy by the way.”

“I’m Sophia. Nice to meet you, Andy. You seem like a cool person to hang out with.”

“I, um… Thank you…That’s the first time someone’s said that to me, and I truly appreciate it.” He smiled innocently.

“But you genuinely seem like a nice person, I can tell you that.” She smiled back.

“Heh, thanks again. And you seem very mature for someone at your age.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” She winked, “Well, thanks for the conversation, Andy. See you around.”

“Wait! Can I come with you?”

“If you want, then sure, why not.”

“Thanks!” He caught up to her, “Where do you want to go?”

“Nowhere in particular. I was going to pass time by strolling around here until I met you.”

“In that case, may interest you in some drinks at the bar? Non-alcoholic, of course.”

“Quite the gentlemammal, aren’t you?” She teased, “Sure, but I can’t promise you that I won’t drink some booze though.”

“That’s…not what I expected, but I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll lead the way.”  He smiled and started walking towards the direction of the hotel with Sophia following from behind.

*******

“Do you wanna take a breather? We’ve been exploring for a while now...” Ken said defeatedly.

“But we haven’t checked the pool yet! I’ve heard that it’s gorgeous!” Hope pouted.

“Ugh, fine. But you better buy me something nice after. My legs are killing me…”

“Don’t worry about it! Let’s go!” Hope ran through the hotel corridors with Ken following from behind at a slower pace. Eventually, they arrived at the pool, Hope ignoring the fox’s complaints.

The so-called ‘pool’ was located northwest of the resort. It was outdoors, naturally, but high walls separated it from the other sections, such as the casinos. On further inspection, it could also be described as a glorified mini waterpark; it had everything you could want, waterslides, a huge mechanical coconut that collects water before splashing it into the pool below. The most prominent feature of the pool was obviously the huge coconut as a lot of mammals were gathered below it, waiting for their impending satisfaction. And in some cases, pain.

“Wow...” Hope’s eyes were filled with amazement.

“This is so cool... Look at that huge coconut!”

“This is better than I thought it would!” He started walking forward.

“Wait, Hope! Careful or you’ll slip!” Ken warned, but he still kept walking in a trance-like state, “Ugh, why am I babysitting him...” He grumbled, reluctantly following the arctic fox.

By the time they went there, the coconut was almost full and ready to splash its contents below. Hope was still walking towards it, unaware he was inside the splash radius. The coconut soon flipped over and an immense amount of water fell into the pool below.

Ken gasped before running towards Hope, grabbing the fox and pulling him back to safety. Hope snapped out of his trance, immediately realizing the situation as he ran with Ken to avoid unnecessary wetness. By some miracle, not a single drop of water landed on them.

“That... was close...” Hope said, gasping for air.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry I acted so recklessly. I was so fascinated in all of these...”

“I understand, but for the sake of our clothes, please never do that again.”

Hope chuckled, “Can’t promise ya that.”

“You’re such a tease.” Ken punched him playfully as he laughed it off. They turned their attention back to the pool and were met with the crowd cheering for the mammals that partook in the ‘event’. It brought a smile to their faces.

*******

Thinking he had seen enough pretty scenes, Wesley decided to head back to meet up with the others. He was on the eleventh floor at the time. Riding the elevator to the bottom floor, he stood there alone in silence.

He sighed deeply, _“I wonder if my family’s doing okay… Will they be happy seeing me back after days of absence? Or will they get mad at me like they always do? I guess I’ll have to find out for myself. I just wish sis won’t side with anyone when I come back. I admire her efforts, but it’d just make the situation worse. Maybe she’ll finally-”_ The elevator rang before he could finish his thoughts. The door opened and he stepped outside, looking around for any sign of his friends.

 _“They probably haven’t returned yet.”_ He took out his phone to check the time; it was 2:25 PM, _“There’s still time left. Eh, I guess I’ll go meet up with Leina.”_ He put his phone away and started walking towards the backside of the resort where the casinos are lined up.

He opened one of the doors that led to the casino and found himself in a unique place. It was a complete contrast to the calm and cool lobby, this place had more of a flashy and retro feeling to it, similar to game arcades.

 _“Huh. So this is what a casino looks like. It’s rather big as well…”_ He glanced around at his surroundings; a lot of mammals were flocking over various tables which had a variety of games going on respectively.

Fortunately, it only took him a small amount of effort to find Leina, the wolf standing with a crowd near the entrance. He was watching the others play but it seemed that his eyes were stuck at the spinner on the table. Wesley eventually pulled him out of the crowd, Leina snapping back to his senses after many failed attempts to get his attention.

“W-Wesley! What are you doing here!?” He seemed distressed at the situation.

“I was looking for you, duh. I tried to get your attention but somehow it never went through.”

“Oh. I see. Well, here I am, I guess.” He chuckled.

Wesley sighed, “In any case, let’s look around some more. This is my first time being inside a real casino and I have to say, it’s pretty overwhelming.” They began walking through the rows of tables and machines.

“Really? I think it’s mediocre. Not that I’m to judge, I’ve never been to one either until now.”

“Eh, either way, let’s just pass the time by doing something.”

“What, do you wanna gamble? I don’t think I have any money to spare, though…”

“I don’t gamble. It’s a stupid thing to do.” He scoffed.

“Jeez, sorry.” Leina rolled his eyes, “So what do you wanna do then?”

“I’m just waiting for the time to arrive. But I feel really angsty for some reason…”

“Still thinking about home?”

“…yeah. Every time I think about going back, I get really uneasy all of a sudden.”

Leina stopped walking, his face taking on a more serious expression, “Wesley, I’ve said this already, but don’t think too much about it. Remember that I’m here for you and if you have any troubles, then just come to me. I’ll help you out as much as I can. I promise.”

Wesley blinked surprisingly, “Leina, I…” He gritted his teeth for a moment before giving a long sigh, “…thanks. Thanks for supporting me, Leina. I really appreciate your concern.” He smiled sincerely, “When I transferred to your school, you couldn’t believe how nervous I was. I couldn’t interact with anybody because of it and I ended up secluding myself every day. It didn’t help that my parents are stricter than prison marshals and it really took a toll on my mental state. Well, until I met you, that is. So I thank you for that, Leina. You’re a really good friend.”

Leina hugged him immediately after he finished his conversation, “You’re welcome.”

“Uh… People are looking at us, Leina…”

“Don’t worry about it! Let’s get us something to drink, my treat!” He took Wesley’s paw and dragged him away from the rest of the crowd.

 _“Heh, I’m really lucky to have him as a friend. I wonder what’s going on his mind to make him a positive-thinker all the time…”_ Wesley thought to himself before chuckling over it, _“I guess he’s going to tell us sooner or later.”_ He felt contented.

*******

Ken and Hope decided to come back inside after exploring the pool area. They didn’t go swimming which disappointed Hope a little, but he still felt quite satisfied. They took a seat on a large couch in the lobby, the pair engaging in conversation to pass the time.

“So, Hope, what do you think about The Palm Hotel so far?”

“It’s _amazing_. I have no other words to describe it.”

“Heh, totally expected that. I gotta say, this doesn’t look like anything from my world. Though, I didn’t go out that much. Still, this place is pretty darn neat. Far better than any other resort I’ve been to.”

“Do you think we could go here again sometimes?”

“Of course! Why not, I mean. A little refreshment wouldn’t hurt once in awhile.” Ken laughed, “Though, I’m getting short on cash… I wonder if I can find a job around here.”

“Oh yeah, you don’t have a source of income, right? I still have my parents to send me money every month, but in your case, it’s… Uh…”

“Complicated, I know. That’s why I need to find some part-time jobs soon.”

“I have something you might be interested in…” The conversation continued.

Meanwhile, Sophia and Andy had already visited  the bar and were now returning back to the others.

“Man, I couldn’t believe they wouldn’t let me drink alcohol there!”

“It’s probably because you’re a frickin’ high-schooler, hello? Why do you even want to drink alcohol, of all things?”

“Eugh, what a massive letdown. Well at least I could drink _something_.”

“And there goes my question. Anyways, where are we going?”

“Back to my friends. We decided to meet up again at three and it’s…” She glanced at her watch, “almost three. A bit early but since I don’t have anything to I thought I’d just go back, wait and relax.” She stretched her arms, “What about you? Are you going somewhere else?”

“Err, I actually stay here. Well, for the time being, at least. I’m looking for a permanent home to live in but haven’t found any so far.”

“I think there are plenty of flats you can rent in Savannah Central.”

“I’ve considered it, but the thing is that I work here, in Sahara Square. So living in one district just to get up and work in another isn’t exactly effective, you know?”

“Huh. I see. Still, do you wanna come with me? You can introduce yourself to the others.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He winked.

They headed back to the main lobby but only saw the backs of two familiar foxes on a large, decorative sofa.

Sophia slinked up behind them, placing her muzzle close to Ken’s ear, “You’re here early.” She said teasingly.

Ken sprang out from the couch startlingly, “Good God, don’t surprise me like that…”

“Talk about overreacting.” Hope chuckled.

“I wasn’t even trying…”

“Well, uh, don’t sneak up on people in general or something. I get scared easily from those.” Ken took a deep sigh, “But you’re early as well. And… wait, Andy? What are you doing here!?”

“Haha, hey. I bumped into her outside. Literally. Nice to see you again, Ken.” Andy said nonchalantly.

“Do you know this guy?” Hope asked.

“Yeah, we met not too long ago in Camel Cabbies. He’s a pretty cool dude.”

“Huh. Nice to meet you then. The name’s Hope.”

“Andy. And likewise. It’s pretty rare to see foxes around here.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that. Not that it matters. Anyways, we only need to wait for Leina and Wesley before going back, right?” Ken spoke up.

“That’s the plan, yes. It’s almost time, so we should be seeing them soon.”

“You’re going already?”

“Yeah, sorry. Two of our friends are going back to their…err, hometown tonight, so we need to get prepared.”

“Aww, and I was thinking of letting you guys stay here for the night.”

“Wait, you would!?” Hope was suddenly excited.

Andy chuckled mischievously, “Of course! But I guess not, since you have something else to do.”

“Aren’t you going to run out of money if you ordered more rooms for us?” Sophia asked suspiciously.

“W-well, I kinda accidentally ordered a suite for me instead of a normal one…”

“You… What?” They all stared in disbelief.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m an idiot and blah blah blah. I get that a lot.”

“…you make my account balance look like nothing… And I’m running out of money.” Ken seemed appalled.

“That’s what working gets you, buddy.” He winked.

“Jobs aside, I think they’re coming.” Hope said as the others followed where his gaze landed. A raccoon and a wolf were walking happily over to their direction.

“We’re back!” Leina cheered.

“You two seem unusually chipper. Did you play something interesting?”

“Nah, we only talked with each other, right, Wesley?”

“…Right.” He coughed, “I suppose all of us here? And…you?” His gaze landed on Andy.

“Hey there! My name’s Andy.” He grinned.

“I assume you know one of us here?”

“Oh, no, I’ve only met Ken and Sophia earlier.”

“I see. Nice to meet you, I’m Wesley, and this is Leina.”

“Hi! Pleasure meeting you!”

“I see. You have a lot of friends, huh, Ken?” He smirked at the fox.

Ken giggled, “You can say that. I’m glad for it.”

“So…” Hope stood up and stretched his arms, “I guess we should get going soon?”

Ken briefly glanced at his phone to check the time; it was a little past three, “It seems so. Don’t wanna risk ourselves by staying here too long.”

“Alright, I’m gonna go call our cabs outside. Come out when you’re ready.” Sophia said before rushing out from the lobby.

“…hey, can I have your phone number?”

“Uh, sure!” Both of them synced their numbers, “It was nice meeting you guys here. It really livened up my mood today. So thanks for that.” He scratched his head.

“You too! It was fun talking to you.”

“Heh, thanks. Oh, I better get some rest before my shift comes up.”

“You’re working?” Leina wondered.

“Yeah. Overnight stocker at Crawlmart. Not the best one, I know, but it’s something.”

“Neato.” He remarked.

“Well, I’ll see you next time. See ya!” He finally jogged away.

“What an interesting fellow…” Wesley thought out loud as he sees the hyena going into the elevator.

“Yeah, I like him already.” Leina giggled.

“We should meet up with Sophia. Let’s go!” Ken said as they headed towards the entrance. They saw Sophia directly in front of it.

“We’re here.”

“Ah, good timing. They’re already on their way here, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

All of them waited for their respective vehicles and in several minutes a new set of cabs arrived in front of the hotel lobby. They rode the same order as before and took off towards the station while having numerous chats mostly about Andy and the two friends’ departure. They arrived at the station soon after and they left their vehicles while saying goodbyes to the drivers before entering the building.

*******

Departing from the train at Metro Station, they left the station and headed to Ken’s flat at Troop Street. Ken briefly checked the time on his phone; it was almost four o’clock.

“So, Wesley, where will you do the ritual again?” Hope asked from behind.

“Wherever works, I think.”

“You think?”

“I’ve only done this once with Leina and the results were… Disastrous, to say the least.”

“Um… Shouldn’t you be away from us when performing it, then?”

“I guess…”

“Wait,” Leina interjected, “didn’t everyone disappear before that massive earthquake struck the café?”

“Now that you mention it, yeah. I completely forgot about that.”

“That still doesn’t assure us, though…”

“I’m betting it’ll be fine. Don’t worry Hope, Ken and Sophia will be there if anything happens, right?”

“Uh… Of course!” He glanced at Sophia.

“I’ll make sure nothing bad happens.” She was certain.

Hope sighed, “I trust you guys.”

All of them laughed, Hope joining them soon after. They quickened their pace before finally arriving at the apartment building. Entering, they made a beeline towards the elevator and rode it immediately. The bell rang, signalling they’ve arrived at the sixth floor and they poured out from it and headed towards the nearest door, room 601. Ken unlocked the door and they all went inside.

“You should pack up all your things.” Ken said as he sat comfortably on his bed while the others picked their most preferable spot.

“On it!” Leina said eagerly. The two then took their time to gather all of their belonging and stuffed them into their bulky backpacks.

“Hey, Ken…” Sophia sat next to him, “Have you ever wondered what’ll happen if you… You know… Do the ritual with them?” She spoke softly.

“I… No, I’ve never thought about that, actually… Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was thinking of a way to bring us back to the human world using your friends’ method.”

“That’s absurd! We can’t possibly go back that way. It’s… Not right. And we don’t even know if it’d work or not.”

She sighed, “I guess you’re right. Let’s just hope there won’t be anything bad happening soon.” She said to which he nodded in agreement.

“We’re done!” Leina shouted from the other side.

“Sorry for the wait.” Both of them approached the rest of the group.

“Are you ready?” Ken looked solemn.

“Yeah. I’ll… I’ll miss you.” Leina hugged him by surprise.

“H-hey… It’s okay, I’ll miss you too…” He hugged back before releasing.

“I guess this is goodbye then.” Wesley smirked.

Ken chuckled, “Yeah. I’ll see you around.”

“Bye, you two! I had a lot of fun hanging out with you!” Hope waved eagerly.

“It was short-lived, but we had our moments. Goodbye!” Sophia said proudly.

Leina and Wesley looked at each other for a moment and they both nodded before taking out their paper scraps from their wallets. Holding the head, Leina mended his own with Wesley’s bottom part of the doll. They closed their eyes and slowly chanted inside their heads:

 _Other worlds, we bring you ourselves. Hear us, we beg of you._  
Other worlds, we bring you ourselves. Hear us, we beg of you.  
Other worlds, we bring you ourselves. Hear us, we beg of you.

They opened their eyes.

No one was there.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a streak of light blinded their vision, rendering them useless. And then everything went blank.

* * *

**And that marks the end of this arc. You might be wondering what’ll happen with the siblings and why did I leave their story that way. Well, let’s just say they’ll appear again very shortly. Either way, tell me about the story so far! Did you like it? Do you have thoughts on how to improve? Leave all of your thoughts for me, I’ll gladly read them. But anyways, as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!**


	29. Return

My vision slowly returned, little by little, until my surroundings were fully colored again. I found myself in the position I’d held before performing the ritual, my hand still grasping the bottom part of the paper doll.

“…huh?” I loosened myself up and looked to my right; a night sky filled the landscape with sparkly stars scattered around outside the window, the street lamps neatly complementing it. “We’re…we’re finally back…!” I turned back to see Leina still holding the paper doll, his body stiff like a statue.

“Leina…? Leina, wake up!” I shook him by the shoulders and somehow managed to free him from his stupor.

“…Wesley?” He looked around before suddenly springing from his seat, catching me by surprise, “We’re back! We’re back home!”

“I know, but keep your voice down, we’re still inside the café.” I went to inspect the paper doll further and discovered it had mysteriously become intact again. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary to the doll, even though we had ripped it apart once. It seemed so odd that I was at a loss for words.

“We should be able to go home now!” He held his phone close and I took out my own, instinctively checking the time. It was past ten in the night. I could have sworn the sky wasn’t as dark when we had performed the ritual back in Zootopia…

“When did it turn to night, though…? Argh, I don’t want to think about it.” I shook my head frustratedly.

“Let’s just go home then. My head feels like it’s spinning for some reason…” I watched as he placed two fingers on his temples, massaging them gently.

“I agree. Let’s leave this place.” I stood up and walked to the exit, passing people – _humans_ – talking to their counterparts at different tables and along the bar. _“It’s been like forever since I’ve seen a human being, talking ones nonetheless. It feels so… Surreal.”_

I eventually exited the café, Leina following close behind as we walked towards the bus stop. As we waited, we talked on how we would face our parents after our unexpected absence.

The vehicle eventually arrived we boarded it before noticing we were the only passengers. It was understandable since it was so late at night and people here tended to ride their personal vehicles instead of public transportation. At least that’s what I’ve seen so far. Either way, we told our destination to the driver and went to sit at the very end of the bus. We stayed silent for the rest of the ride, not knowing what to say nor ask; my mind was so occupied on meeting my family I couldn’t even think of a conversation topic. I assumed Leina was thinking the same as he never said a word. Not that I could blame him, I think we were both happy and terrified to be back home.

I rested my head on the window, watching as the surroundings began to change; rows of houses were starting to appear more often and eventually we were in a complex that I was unfamiliar with.

I turned my attention to Leina, “Hey, is your house around here? I think we’re getting close.” He was fumbling with his phone.

“Hmm…?” He looked up slowly towards the window, “…oh yeah, this is my neighborhood.” He paused before continuing, “I think I’m gonna get off and walk from here. I’ll see you tomorrow, Wesley.”

“Huh? Oh, okay…” He stood up and went to press the stop button near the door. The bus stopped abruptly and the door opened. We waved at each other before he left the vehicle, the bus resuming its journey shortly after.

_“I wonder what he’s thinking. He looked rather blank earlier…”_ I took a long sigh and slumped down on the seat behind. I was really tired from all of this. I just wanted to crawl into my bed and have a long sleep… But I knew I needed to face my greatest challenge yet-

My parents.

*******

The bus came to a stop near my house and I got off. I quickened my pace and beelined straight towards the building, noticing the increasing amount of constructions in the nearby vicinity. I could have sworn I hadn’t seen them before. I had never seen them being constructed either, it should have taken them much longer to make this sort of progress, unless tons of people were involved in it, but I highly doubted that since this part of the neighborhood wasn’t exactly the ‘best’ kind. Not that I cared.

I arrived at the porch of my house. It looked… Different compared to the last time I saw it. It had been what, three days since Leina and I were transported to Zootopia? And the exterior had already altered this much. Just how long had we been gone…?

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. It was nearly eleven. My parents tended to sleep early so that left me with my sister. Unlike them, she normally slept at later hours, so I was pretty sure she would still be up.

Her name was Estelle Bright. She had been adopted when she was still an infant. Apparently my parents had tried to have a child but failed in doing so and their doctor had added to the disappointment by saying something about a disease, I think? I couldn’t remember the details exactly. They had decided to try again four years later and for some miraculous reason, I was born. Not that I’m complaining. If they hadn’t then I wouldn’t be standing here right now.

As we grew up, I’d looked up to her as a protective and caring sister, but she always had this harsh behavior that turned most people off. I had always had to set things straight around her, and I’d been very wary of strangers as a result, talking my way out was especially my forte.

After taking a deep breath, I rhythmically knocked the door in rapid succession, creating a tone I used to make with Estelle back then.

_“Who in their right mind would come here at this ungodly hour… I swear I’ll smack them in the head if this is some kind of a prank…”_ A familiar voice spoke from the other end as the door opened, revealing a person in a light pink tanktop and short blue jeans. It was my sister.

“Ugh, what the heck do you want-” Her voice dropped as her gaze landed on me.

“Hello Estelle. I’m back.” I smiled warmly.

“W-Wesley…? You’re Wesley, right!?” I think we were both surprised at each other.

“Yeah, but keep it down, mom and dad are sleeping, aren’t they? Now let me in, I’m freezing out here.” I tried to slip past her.

“Wait just a damn minute!” I stopped, blinking in surprise at her harsh tone, “How can you say that with a straight face!? You disappeared for almost two weeks for fuck’s sake! And now you’ve magically appeared in front of me, acting like nothing had ever happened? Don’t give me that kind of bullshit! We all thought you ran away from home! We were worried sick about you!” I could see tears starting to form in her eyes. I had messed up big time.

“Estelle, I... I’m sorry. I know that I’ve made everyone worried, I’ll explain everything to you, but promise me not to tell mom and dad about this, okay?”

She sniffed as she looked at me in confusion, “H-huh? Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, first of all, they’d take me to a psychiatrist if they heard my explanation, or even worse. But yeah, I’ll tell you everything, even if you don’t believe me after.”

“Okay…” She moved from the door and I stepped inside, the cozy atmosphere was wonderfully familiar. It felt like forever since I’d last been in my house. I then went straight to my room.

“So, let me ask you this first. Where did you go?” She said behind me as I unlocked the door.

“To put it simply, another city.” I swung it open and threw my bag against the side of my desk, the backpack landing with a loud thud before I collapsed into the sweet embrace of my bed.

“What do you mean by that? Surely you didn’t leave town? That’d be so irresponsible of you. You do know that you’ve missed school by a lot, right? You have a lot to catch up on.” She closed the door quietly behind her.

I sighed and sat upright on my bed, “Please don’t talk about that. I’m sick of being forced to have grades that they know I can’t achieve. I know that I should study harder, but I’m so tired of being pushed around and forced to study more. _I get it, okay?_ But this is my life, and I’m going to live it the way I want to, not by others’ choices.” I took a deep breath, I hadn’t intended to let out all of my inner thoughts. Estelle just stood there, surprised at my sudden outburst. “Sorry, shouldn’t have lashed out on you. I know you didn’t do anything, but man, getting that off my chest feels so good…”

“I… I never knew you felt that way… I’m sorry, I should’ve looked after you more. As an older sibling.”

“No, it’s not your fault. And to be fair, I didn’t reach out to anyone about my problem, which admittedly I should have. But that doesn’t matter now, I owe you an explanation, don’t I?”

“I suppose…”

“Okay…” I began telling her how I met Leina and the mysterious man when visiting the cemetery three days ago, which she corrected to eleven days ago. It appeared that time flowed differently here than in Zootopia, which I found both odd and intriguing simultaneously. Nevertheless, I continued talking on how we received the envelope from the man that turned out to be some sort of a ritual, which, if done correctly, will be able to transport the participants to somewhere they want to be. I explained how Leina and I performed it and were transported to another world, finding a city called Zootopia in which anthropomorphic animals were the citizens and discovered that we had been transformed ourselves. I told her about how we successfully found Ken and stayed in the city for two days before returning back to our world.

“…I think that’s all I need to say. I know it’s probably very hard to grasp, but it’s the truth.” I let out a deep sigh, expecting some kind of an outburst of questionings from her but instead she just stared, looking at me with a face like she had just heard something unbelievable.

“Wait, you went to Zootopia? _The_ Zootopia?” She was thoroughly surprised.

“That’s what I said, yeah. Do you…do you by chance know it?” I was starting to get suspicious.

She bit her lips, looking at me hesitantly before eventually opening up, “I do. I’ve been in Zootopia before too.”

I was surprised. More than her even.

“What…?”

She took a seat next to me, “I’ve never told you this, and it was probably for the best. But like I said, I was in Zootopia at one point, though not because I want to. You see, I was sent there after dying in a car crash three years ago.”

I stared at her in disbelief. She… Died? How was she here, sitting with me if she did? Then it clicked in my head.

The Reapers’ Game.

She must’ve been sent into the game after she died. But even if that’s true, how come I don’t remember her death?

“What happened after that?”

“You’re not gonna question how I’m currently here talking to you if I’m dead?”

“No, and I think I know why.”

“Huh…? You do?” She legitimately looked surprised.

“Yeah, well at least bits of it, I think. Were you in something called The Reapers’ Game?”

“…how did you know?”

As I thought, she really was in the game. “Okay. So how did you escape it? By finishing the game? Or by some other means? And why couldn’t I remember your death if you really did die?”

“I completed the game with the other players. Unfortunately some of them didn’t make it, one even disappeared completely from the game. When we finished it, I realized I was sent back before the car crash, making it as if the accident had never happened.”

So she went back in time before her death after finishing the game? That explains how I never heard the accident before. Wait, she also said something about someone disappearing from the game…

“I see. Do you know the person who you said to have disappeared?”

“We’ve met occasionally in missions. I think her name’s Sophia Estriga. It’s been awhile since I’ve thought about her, the last time I saw her she’d been separated from her partner. Anyway, you never answered how you know all of this!”

I chuckled, “You just answered your own question. I met Sophia when Leina and I were in Zootopia. She said she was an ex-player of The Reapers’ Game and is currently living there.”

“Okay, now you need to explain who the hell is this Leina? And how on earth did Sophia stay there? Heck, how and why did you even go to Zootopia? Isn’t it like, very dangerous to go there?”

“Leina’s a friend I met in school recently. I tagged along with him and we ended up being involuntarily transported to Zootopia through the ritual I mentioned before. As for Sophia, she said something about using a crystal she found somewhere in the game and that took her to the final level. She found her way out where she wasn’t supposed to go to, I think, so that’s why she’s in Zootopia. And I’ve said it before, but Zootopia isn’t the same as it was in The Reapers’ Game. It’s very much a real city, and if I recall correctly, the Zootopia you’ve seen in the game only serves as a stage for it. Although…” I paused for a moment before continuing, “You’ve fought with the anomalies, right? Or do you at least know what they are?”

“Yes. They were the enemies in the game. I don’t wanna see them ever again, that’s for sure.”

“I see, that just backs her claim then…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Nothing, it’s irrelevant.”

“Okay… But man, I can’t believe she actually made it out alive. I thought she was damned to wander that place forever.” She giggled.

“You sounded like a maniac there for a second… Anyway, that’s how I know about the game. I’m still thinking about how Ken and the others didn’t enter the game and instead went straight into the city…”

“Okay, now who’s this Ken person again? And what do you mean by that?”

“He’s a friend of Leina that just recently died two weeks ago, a month if you count our absence. According to you and Sophia’s statements, he should’ve entered the game to have a second chance in life, right? But that’s not the case this time, rather, he was sent directly to Zootoopia after being asked if he wished to live or not. I’m really intrigued as to what had happened to the game.”

“Who the hell cares about that? The important thing is that you’ve returned safely here.”

“I suppose. Don’t tell mom and dad about this, instead just tell them my friend and I were stuck in the woods while camping or something like that if they ask. That’ll keep them quiet.”

“As if you need to tell me that. I gotcha.” She winked at me and I smiled. “Well, I’ll let you rest. You must be pretty tired after all this, right?” She stood up and headed for the door.

“Hey, Estelle…” I spoke up as she opened it, “Do you want to go to Zootopia again?”

“Huh?”

“Um, nevermind. Good night.”                 

“…night.” I saw her smile at me before she closed the door.

I took a deep breath before laying down on my bed once again.

_“I can’t believe my sister was one of the players in The Reapers’ Game. I’ve never even heard of her death. Well, I guess it was because she had rewound time. But still, to know all of these were under my nose the whole time is so… Unbelievable. I guess I’m not one to complain considering all the things I’ve seen. Rituals, Reapers, other worlds… All of these are just so farfetched, but I’ve experienced them myself. Now I just need to face my parents…”_ I thought as I rolled over onto my side. I felt my eyelids getting heavier as time passed and before I knew it I was already in deep slumber.

…

…

…

I could faintly see a boy with purple hair staring at me in the distance.

* * *

**Oh boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve used a first person POV again. Thanks to BookerOfWit for betareading the past chapters and this one as well, you rock! Anyways, I think I’ve expanded on Wesley’s background enough. No spoilers here, though. All thoughts are welcome! So as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!**


	30. Riposte

**Alright, so first of all, I deeply apologize for the unannounced hiatus. Real life had taken its toll on me, and it has been kinda putting me off the writing scene. But now that exams are over, I’ve found free time to continue this story! And as compensation, I have new** **arts for Ken and Wesley here!**

 

**(By Ziegelzieg, colored by me)**

** **

 

 

**(By Sendrax)**

** **

 

 

 

**Okay, that's all for the "new" artworks! And now, without further ado, let's get right into this chapter! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

“It was short-lived, but we had our moments. Goodbye!” Sophia waved to Leina and Wesley. I noticed them nodding before they pieced together some kind of torn paper scraps. They then closed their eyes.

…

…

…

“H-huh!?”

They had disappeared with a blink of an eye.

“Where’d they go!?” Hope was frantic, but I calmed him down, even though I was thoroughly confused myself.

“It seems the ritual worked!” Sophia said from behind.

“You… You think so?”

“I can’t be too sure, but that seems to be the general direction they were going.”

“Okay…”

“Hey, cheer up! They’re probably back in the other world by now, so let’s not worry about them anymore.” I wrapped my arm around Hope’s shoulder playfully.

“I guess you’re right. They were pretty confident earlier, too.”

“That’s the spirit.” I grinned.

We talked for a good while about various things that usually led up to dirty jokes, thanks to Hope. That’s what made him likable, I suppose. He always had this bubbly personality that matched Leina’s old one, and fortunately, Leina was slowly turning back to his old self. I noticed it when he’s with us, so that’s good.

I was sorting through the messages on my phone when it suddenly rang, signaling an incoming call. I calmed myself after that little fright and saw that Chris was calling. Huh, I wonder what happened that made him call me at this hour. I answered it nonetheless.

“Hey, Chris. What’s up?” I cooed as I moved away from the others.

_“Ken, I need your help. Sophia’s been captured by the two officers we ran into recently. They’ve brought her away, and I don’t know what to do!”_ His voice was frantic.

“Whoa, calm down.” I paused to let him breathe for a moment, “Okay, now explain to me more clearly on what you just said because I only heard half of those.”

_“Okay… So I was out buying groceries this morning. While I was doing it, I got a call from Ash, telling me that the cops had already found out where we lived and that she’d been cornered. I immediately stopped my activity and used my perk to teleport straight to her location, only to find nothing but a mess inside the house.”_

Nervousness struck me as he finished the sentence. “Wh-what?? Where is she now?”

_“As I said, she’s been brought away, which I assume is to the ZPD’s Precinct 1.”_

That couldn’t be! How did Nick and Judy found out their home? I had never told them about this, so how did they even know about their location? Ashley being taken away by them was the most unexpected thing I’ve heard.

“I… I don’t know what to say…” I gritted my teeth, “But stay calm, okay? I’ll help you in any way I can, though I’m not sure how…”

_“I’ve been thinking about this since then, but it seems you’re the only one who can carry out this plan successfully.”_

“Huh? You have a plan already?”

_“Yes. I need you to distract your cop friends long enough so I can take Ashley back. Sounds simple enough?”_

“Distract…? Ah, I get it. Still, are you sure I should do this? I mean, wouldn’t it make me even more suspicious?”

_“Don’t worry about that, you are a very trustworthy person. Just don’t say anything suspicious, and let me handle the rest.”_ A short pause ensued, _“Will you help me?”_

I was really conflicted about this. On one side, I wanted to help Chris save Ashley, but on the other hand, I don’t want to risk betraying Nick and Judy’s trust for me. But in the end, I chose to help Chris after all.

“Okay, I’ll help you. So I just need to take them away from whatever it is that they’re doing, right?”

_“Yes, by doing so I might be able to slip through the precinct’s defenses. I don’t want to take any risks with those two; they’re the real threats against us.”_

“I understand. Alright, I’ll see what I can do. Laters.”

*click*

I hung up and sighed deeply. I couldn’t believe this would’ve happened. I mean, they would inevitably meet one and another, but I didn’t think it’d be like this.

I hurriedly picked Nick’s contact and dialed his number. I hope this would work…

…

…

…

_“Hello, Ken? Fancy seeing you calling me. What’s up?”_ He answered with his usual smug tone. Good, he hadn’t suspected me. At least not yet…

“Haha, hey Nick. I was wondering if we all could go to dinner tonight?” I sounded as convincing as possible without showing my worry.

_“Tonight? I’m afraid we’ll be swamped with work later this night. Caught one of the perps that had released the prisoners that day earlier. But I’ll see if I can make up time. Though, what’s the occasion?”_

“Nothing much, I just thought it’d be fun if we all have dinner like before. Reliving the moments, I’d say.”

_“Heh, you’re one unique kid. I’ll talk to Judy about this and see if we can plea to Bogo- I mean, speak to him to get an excuse.”_

Nick’s antics were always amusing. “Thanks. I’ll be waiting!”

_“Don’t do something stupid in the meantime. See ya later.”_

*click*

I put my phone away after glancing at the time, which was 6:20 PM. Not too terribly late, I think I could even manage this!

“Hey, Ken! Zootopia to Ken, are you there?” Hope’s voice snapped me out from whatever thoughts I was indulged in. I quickly turned my attention to him and saw a frown on his face; he clearly wasn’t happy.

“Uh, sorry. What is it?” I replied as I moved closer to him, which was sitting next to Sophia on my bed, her expression was similar to Hope’s.

His expression quickly faltered, thankfully, as he put up his usual smile afterward. “We were calling your name for the past five minutes. Was that call something important? You seemed incredibly spaced out there after that call.” Hope figured me out just like that. I swear Wesley is influencing him in some way… Though, I’m… Kinda happy with this. I don’t want him to be too naïve. I don’t want him to end up like me.

“Um, kinda.” I hesitated on whether I should tell them or not, but eventually gave up, thinking nothing bad would happen if I did. “First of all, you remember Ashley, right Hope?”

“Of course I do, we went to her house a few days ago.” He snickered jokingly.

I saw Sophia immediately reacting to Hope by squinting her eyes at him, “You sounded like a pervert there for a second.” She said flatly before turning to me, leaving Hope hanging in disbelief on his face, “You told me she was a fellow human-turned-Zootopian along with a brother of hers, right? What about it?” She sounded very curious. Heh, so much for lowkey.

“Well, the person who contacted me just now was indeed her brother, Chris. And apparently… Ashley has been captured by the ZPD.” They all showed signs of surprise on their faces, most evidently on Hope’s.

“Wait, what!? Hold on, hold on. Ashley, who has the ability to kinda foresee the future, got caught by the ZPD? How the hell did that even happen?” I was very much surprised by his outburst. I didn’t expect him to react this way, to be completely honest.

“Whoa, calm down. I know how you feel, but Chris never explained on _how_ she got caught, as he too was away at the time it happened. And the thing is, she was apprehended by Nick and Judy…” I lowered my head slightly.

“That… Sounds bad. Like, dreadful…” I heard Sophia gulping.

“Goddammit, of all people, why must it be them…?”

A brief silenced then ensued.

“…me and Chris had thought of a plan to rescue Ashley.” I spoke up quietly, trying to lighten up the tense atmosphere.

“Really!?” Hope exclaimed immediately right after I said that.

“Y-yeah. Though, the success of this plan depends entirely on Nick and Judy’s decision.”

“Can you elaborate more on this plan of yours?” Sophia started asking as well.

“It wasn’t really me that came up with this plan, but of course. Basically, I’m going to distract Nick and Judy by asking them out to go to dinner, as simple as that sounds.”

Another pause ensued after not knowing what to say next. Hope soon spoke up afterward with a confused face, “Wait, that’s all?”

“Yep. I already called Nick earlier, and he said he’ll try his best to persuade the chief or something since, you know, they were the one who caught Ashley and all.”

“I-I see…” Hope exhaled fleetingly, “So… What do we do now?”

“We can only hope for the best, I guess…” I was unsure of my answer too, “…anyways, aren’t you guys going home? It’s getting pretty late.” I tried my best to divert the topic away.

“What? No! We’re going to help you rescue her. Right, Sophia?”

The doe had been looking at the floor the whole time. Hope’s calling was the one that woke her out from a stupor of some sorts.

“…sorry, but Ken’s right. I have matters to do back home, so I can’t really hang around here much longer here.” I was certainly surprised at her answer but moreso with Hope. His face of disbelief really stood out.

“You gotta be kidding me…” I could hear a hint of despair in his tone. Why did he want to help so much anyways?

“Heh, I wouldn’t worry if I were you. I have my faith on Ken; I’m sure he can solve everything by himself.” She turned her view to me with an unusual smile, “Right?”

I nodded firmly, “Yep, you can count on me!” I grinned back to them. At least hope wasn’t as worried as he was then.

He then took a big sigh, “Fine, I guess you’re right. I trust you, Ken. So don’t you flake out on us!” He suddenly pointed at me. His dramatic action felt familiar… Heh.

“Y-yeah, I get it. But calm down.” I raised both my arms in defense and feigned surprise.

“Hahaha, I was just teasing ya.” He then winked at me playfully, making me sigh with a smile.

“Are you two always like this?” Sophia spoke up from the sides.

“Eheh, you can say that…” I scratched the back of my head while smiling at her embarrassingly, “A-anyways, you all should be going now. I don’t want you to be attacked by the anomalies if you stay here too long.”

“Mmm, you’re right. Okay, we’ll see you later then.” Sophia stood up from the bed and started walking to the door, turning herself around once she got there, “C’mon Hope, let’s go.” She gestured to follow her.

“Right.” Hope nodded at her, “Goodbye Ken. And be careful.” He smiled warmly at me before following Sophia afterward. They then exited the room without forgetting to close the door.

I sighed deeply, _“I still can’t believe that Ashley was captured this easily. What Hope said was right; Ashley should’ve had foreseen this to happen. So… Why?”_

…

…

…

_“Argh! This is all so confusing!”_ I shook my head forcefully, trying to steer my thoughts away from the current matter, _“It’s no use thinking about this. The best I can do is to wait…_ ” I sighed again and placed my phone on the bedside table before throwing myself onto my bed wearily.

_“I wonder how Leina and Wesley are doing right now...”_

My phone rang right after I ended my thoughts which startled me for a bit. I picked it to see who was calling hurriedly; it was Nick.

_“Well speak of the devil… Let’s see where this goes.”_ I took a deep breath and answered the call.

* * *

The two mammals entered the elevator at the end of the hallway; the arctic fox was pushing the buttons while the doe rested her back at the back of the elevator. It then descended slowly.

Hope sighed and turned to Sophia, who was closing her eyes; presumably was thinking about something related, “Are you sure we can’t do anything to help? I mean, sure, I trust Ken completely, but there’s no harm in having extra help, right?”

Sophia immediately opened her eyes as if on cue and looked straight at Hope, making him step back in surprise, “Don’t worry, I’ve thought up of another plan; only for us. But don’t tell anyone about this.” Her expression turned serious.

He gulped before replying, “O-okay, what do you have in mind?”

“It’s kinda straightforward as well. Basically, we will provide help to the brother in hoping to maximize our chances to free Ashley. His name is Chris, wasn’t it?”

“That… Could actually work!” He smacked his left paw with his other as he imagined the plan flow through his mind. “And yes, it’s Chris. Or Christopher if you wanna be specific.”

“Excellent. Now, all we need to do is to come to him and tell that we’re providing backup. Can you call Chris so he knows that we’re going there in advance? And you do know where he lives, right?”

“I know, yeah, but… Crap, I never asked him for his number. And asking Ken for Chris’ number would gather too much suspicion on me since he’s the only one I know that has it.”

“Damn, okay. It’s not necessary, but it’d be politer if we tell Chris that we’re visiting him beforehand. But I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, this is an emergency after all.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Hope nodded solemnly as the elevator’s doors opened. They walked out from the elevators and then towards the streets. They settled on a nearby bus stop and waited for one there. Hope pulled out his phone to casually check the time; it was 6:40 PM. Sighing, he put the phone away and turned back to Sophia.

“Hey, Soph… Can I call you that?”

“Huh? Yeah, go ahead, I don’t mind.” She giggled.

“Haha, thanks.” He scratched his head for a moment, “…say, what does the human world look like?” He asked as he stared blankly across the street.

“Uh… Why do you ask?”

“Well… I’ve been noticing that I’m always the odd one out from the group. You all came from another world, as unrealistic and crazy as that sounds. And I couldn’t help but think about myself, such as how I got into this particular group, what can I do to make myself stand out, and things like that…”

“Hope, are you feeling okay?” Worriedness was becoming more evident in her tone.

Hope shook his head and looked back at her with a reassuring smile, “I'm all right, sorry for the unexpected questions. Though, I don’t really mind hanging out with you guys; it brings me happiness even, despite everything that I said.”

“Well, at least you’re happy.” She chuckled under her breath, “I’ve been with this group for only a day or so, and I can already tell that they’re awesome. Including you, Hope.” She winked at her.

Hope’s white fur became reddened instantly the moment Sophia ended his sentence, “T-thanks…” He then lowered his head afterward, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Hey now, don’t blush on me!” She let out a vigorous laugh that eventually made Hope laugh along as well.

“A-anyways, it was really nice talking to you. My chest feels so relieved now, haha. I guess having someone to talk really helps people a lot.” He chuckled.

“I bet it is.” She brushed her fringe coolly and looked at the far right side of the street; the bus was approaching fast at their direction. It eventually stopped in front of them, and they boarded the vehicle, stopping at the entrance to look for empty seats before finally setting in on one side of the bus. It resumed its journey shortly after. A while of awkward silence and uneasy shiftings later, Hope finally coughed to break the ice between them.

“So, Soph. Can you tell me what your perk is?” Hope asked an unrelated question out of the blue.

“Huh? Where’d that come from? And what do you mean by that? Heck, what _is_ a perk?” She replied with extreme confusion.

“Uhm, a perk is your… Power? I assumed you have one since you came from the human world and all.” He lowered his tone on the last part.

“Perk… Oh, you mean abilities?”

“Abilities? I guess that’s another way to say it, I dunno…” He scratched his head in mild frustration, making the doe chuckle slightly.

“Well, we refer to it as _Abilities_ in the Reaper’s Game. I mean, the word Perks work fine as well, same meanings I guess. Anyways, I don’t think I have an ability. My previous ability was the power to use _Spirit Stones_ , as in, I was a Spirit Stone user. I think I had the most overpowered stone as well, but that’s irrelevant to this conversation.”

“Let’s… Slow down for a bit.” He had tilted his head puzzlingly at her the whole time. He then took a deep breath, “First of all, what are Spirit Stones? And why do you not have a perk right now? Do you even know what your perk is?” He poured all the questions he had in his mind all at once. Despite that, Sophia managed to keep her cool intact, as if she had done this before.

“Spirit Stones are crystallized spirits condensed into stones. As the name suggests, there are a lot of spirits in the Reaper’s Game, either pure or corrupt, or even spirits from the previous players that failed to finish the game or had broken a rule of a particular mission. But I won’t go much further on that.” She coughed once to change the topic, “On the subject of what Spirit Stones do; their powers vary by each stone, but fundamentally you can use them to unleash the power of said stone that usually relates to the spirit in question. For example, one time I had to fight a spirit of a sunken person. I struggled a lot when trying to defeat it, but when I did, the spirit left a stone behind called a Lazulite. When activated, the stone can shoot out bubbles. Sounds pretty silly, I admit, but the bubbles do come out in rapid succession, so it is pretty powerful if you ask me. Anyways, spirit stones will be put in a recharging state after use, ranging from one to ten minutes, but mostly five minutes for typical stones. Also, using a stone will drain a fragment of your stamina. Therefore you can’t just haphazardly unleash them, especially if you have multiple stones in your possession.” She paused to take a breather, “Does that answer your question?”

“Yes. Very much so.” Hope nodded without firmly without question.

“Heh, alright. And as for the rest… I don’t really know. Or rather, I have no means of knowing that. I may or may not have a perk, but I couldn’t confirm it fully by myself. And I haven’t done any _unusual_ things so that kinda counts as a factor as well.”

“Hmm… I see. Well what do you know, this may be a perfect opportunity for us both!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You see; Chris has this device called a smartwatch. He apparently retained that particular piece of equipment when he and his sister were sent into this world if I remember everything right. He told me and the others that it can show critical information about one’s health, stamina, and even their perk’s info! You should totally ask him to identify yours when you two finally meet!”

“Oh wow, really? That’s really helpful! Like, _really_ helpful.” She giggled happily which made Hope smile warmly at her in return.

“Yeah, I think you two would make great friends.”

“I hope so; it’d be nice to have more friends that have something in common.”

“Yep, friends are the best.” He smiled at her for the last time before leaning back to his chair, sinking himself completely into it as he stared upwards, waiting for the vehicle to arrive at the central station.

They both sat in silence for quite a while before the bus gradually came to a halt. Sophia nudged Hope multiple as he apparently had been sleeping before waking up abruptly by her disruption and stood up in surprise, almost hitting his head at the compartment glove above. She calmed him down as he smiled embarrassingly at her before they both got down from the bus, now standing in front of the station.

While he was still slightly groggy, Hope pulled out his phone to check the time; twenty minutes had passed as it was already 7 PM. Sighing defeatedly, he pocketed it back and turned to Sophia.

“We should really pick up the pace. Let’s hurry inside.”

“Agreed. Let’s go.”

They nodded at each other before sprinting to the doors, brushing past the horde of mammals that were in their way as they finally entered the station. With no pauses to catch their breaths, they continued sprinting towards the ticket booth which was made easy due to the reduced amount of mammals at the night time. They hurriedly paid for two tickets there and made their way towards the tracks that had a train coming fast into the station, fortunately for them. It stopped with the signature creak sound coming from the rail brakes. The doors opened and a diverse amount of mammals poured out from every opening of the train. They waited until it was empty before boarding the train themselves, along with the other passengers. Finding a seat across the door, the duo situated themselves neatly and took a deep breath, panting rapidly from their resulted exhaustion. The train began moving after a short intercom from the train’s conductor, signaling its departure.

“Hope… Was all that running necessary?” Sophia asked after fully regaining her breathings.

“Now that I think of it… No, no it isn’t.”

“I thought so.” She snorted, trying to hold her laugh. Hope only shook his head, words couldn’t describe how his face looked like.

“Stupid decisions aside, let’s be extra careful when we arrive at Rainforest. Anomalies are bound to appear at this hour. We don’t have Ken here or any weapons to defend us now, and the one Wesley killed could just be a coincidence, for all we know.”

“You’re absolutely right. The least we can do is to follow Leina’s advice.”

“Yep, that’s what I was thinking too. In the end, only time will tell, I guess.” He finished with a dark chuckle.

The night was just the beginning of something grand, as the threads of time start to unravel, slowly unfolding before these unsuspecting eyes.

* * *

**And that’s all for this chapter! Once again, I’m really sorry for the hiatus, I definitely should’ve posted something, but my laziness overcame my intentions, haha. But fortunately my drive to write is slowly coming back, so I’ll hope you guys stick around with me a little longer, as this story is slowly nearing its end. As usual, your thoughts are always appreciated! I’m even going to address new reviews in the next chapters from now, so make sure to post them reviews! But anyways, as always, I’ll see you in the next chapter. Good night!**

 


End file.
